Flight to Haven
by MaximumAngel1
Summary: Max and Fang were best friends at The School. When they were torn apart at age 10, they never thought they would see each other again. Flash forward seven years: Max is living in a government safe haven, training to rescue other mutant kids. Fang is on the run from vicious Erasers. What happens when they meet again? Will they have a happily ever after? FAX!
1. An Introduction

**Here's my new story. It's all about a government haven for mutants, scientists and their families. Cut off from the outside world, mutants train for missions to save others and possibly the world. Maybe Fax and Eggy? I suck at romance so don't get your hopes up.**

**Ages:**

**Max, 17. Iggy, 17. Fang, 17. Ella, 15. Nudge, 14. Gazzy, 11. Angel, 9.**

**DISCLAIMER:**

**Angel: You have to!**

**Max: Fine. I don't own Maximum Ride.**

**Fang: Oh thank God!**

**Max: HEY!**

**Angel: I don't own it either, all I own is a bag of**

**On with the story!**

**~Max**

MAX POV

I round the corner of the long running track. The whitecoats are timing me, measuring my heart rate after each lap, seeing how far I can go. I don't mind, it's their job. Running is exhilarating, and it helps me let go of my feelings. It's almost as wonderful as soaring through the clear skies above our 'haven'.

You're probably wondering who I am, and what in the world I'm talking about. Flying, you ask? Let me explain. This may take a while, so I'll try to keep it snappy.

Science has advanced, much more than you might think. Institutes around the world have tried to combine animal and human DNA to create superhuman hybrids. Some have been very successful. Some have failed miserably. The scientists who created those hybrids want to study them, often in horrific conditions that overwork even the strongest of hybrids. They don't care. They don't realize that although those creatures were born artificially, although they are the result of an experiment, they don't realize that they are people. They have feelings.

The US government outlaws these cruel tests and experimentation, but it happens anyways. So they created this haven, this utopia, for hybrids, government scientists and their families. I'm one of the greatest successes of an institute called The School. Many of us came from there. I escaped by myself, using my avian DNA. I'm 98% person, 2% bird. And those 2% have a huge impact, in the form of wings. I literally _flew _out of there as fast as I could. I lived on the streets, but the government found me. They took me here, to The Haven, and I've lived here ever since. It's great!

I live with an adoptive mother, Dr. Valencia Martinez. She has a biological daughter, Ella, who's two years younger than me. She's fifteen, I'm seventeen. I also have an adoptive sister, Nudge. She's a human-avian hybrid like me. You would not _believe _ how fast that kid can talk! On our street, we have two immediate neighbors. To our left is the scientist Jeb's house. He lives with an avian son, Iggy. Like me and Nudge, he named himself. Iggy's blind and my age. He's a bit of a pyro. To our right, Dr. Abate lives with two avian kids. The kids are actually related. Their names are Adelaide and Zephyr. They're 9 and 11, respectively, but prefer the names Angel and Gazzy.

We each have special abilities (besides the wings). Iggy can feel colors and see white, so, naturally, his favorite animal is a polar bear. Nudge can attract metal and hack any computer. Gazzy can imitate any voice perfectly and let loose what I'll just call a 'natural stink bomb'. Angel probably has the most impressive set of powers of all: she can read minds and communicate through them. She can also talk to fish, which is where she learned her first swear words.

Some scientists think that she can actually control minds, but that she hasn't developed that power very much yet, so it wouldn't work well. The feds always get a little nervous when someone mentions her. She would be a pretty big threat to national security, or a really big weapon for the USA. They don't want to know which she would end up as.

So, what do us mutant freaks do? Well, we go to school for one thing. Scientists and other teachers hired by the government give us our lessons at a big K-12 school. We kind of have a one-way connection with the universe, so to speak. Information gets in, but nothing gets out. So yes, we watch TV and listen to music. We read books and get news. At school, our lives are pretty normal. Humans go to our school, too. They're the families of the scientists and teachers here.

We do normal school things, although it's much more advanced. The assigned reading list for Angel's class includes some classic books that you might read in your high school English class. The human kids have to try to keep up with the curriculum, but you'd be surprised at how much they can learn. We learn science (no, really?), math, English, social studies, and all that crap.

The only thing that's really different is our gym class (although, the humans have a regular gym class). You call it Phys. Ed., for us it's Advanced Training. You see, our mission (of course we have a mission! Did you honestly think that the government would spend all that money for nothing?) is to save other mutants, destroy institutes like The School, and maybe save the world while we're at it. No biggie, right?

So, we train hard based on a personalized training program. I specialize in aerial combat and terrain combat. I'm also a long-distance runner. My training includes martial arts, running exercise, weight lifting and aerial stunts. One of the wonderful things about The Haven is that it's a governmentally restricted air zone, meaning we don't have to worry about planes, helicopters, etc.. We can just fly!

You're probably wondering, _who is this chick? _Well, here it is. My name is Maximum Ride. This is my life.

FANG POV

I ducked into the nearest store that wasn't for 5-year olds. I looked around. It's some store that's all about Minnesota, which is my current location. I'm constantly on the run from The School, this crazy laboratory place that made me. Let me explain: I'm a human-avian hybrid. I was created by a School, and they did horrible tests of strength and stamina on me. I escaped three years ago, when I was fourteen. I'm seventeen now, still on the run from human-lupine hybrids called Erasers. They want to bring me back to that dreadful place at all costs. I've tried my hardest to keep moving and stay hidden from them, but they always manage to find me. Right now, I've found myself in some huge shopping mall in Minnesota. I think it's called The Mall of America. It is freaking amazing, and this is coming from a guy who hasn't been shopping in his entire life. There's an entire theme park with roller coasters and rides inside the building!

I really needed to get out of this store. With my black clothes and overall 'non- normal teenager'ish appearance, in this place I stuck out like a sore thumb. I needed to find a store where I could blend in better. I decided to make dash for the door. I scanned the surroundings. The upside and downside of a mall was the crowd. You could blend in easily, but so could the Erasers (in their human form they look like models in their 20s). I didn't see any, so I stepped out and followed the river of humans. I tried to avoid clothing stores because they were always pestering you to try stuff on, and I didn't know how well I could hide my wings under some of the clothes they shove at you. I made a plan to just walk in circles around the mall and switch floors often. That way, I could keep the Erasers off my trail. I had found earlier a great place to spend the night: The Sleep Number store. That place seriously rocked! I figured I'd just hide out somewhere in there, maybe under a bed when nobody was watching, and leave when they closed up shop.

I was getting onto an escalator when I heard a gruff voice a few yards behind me. "That's the kid! Get him!"

Crap. Erasers. Just another day in the life of Fang. Oh yeah, that's my name- Fang. I got it as a nickname from a kid who shared my cage back when I was little. She called me that because I used to bite the scientists if they wanted to run tests on me. We got separated when I was ten. I don't know what happened to her, if she ever escaped or if she's even alive. I really do hope that she's alright.

I remember everything about her: her brown sun-streaked hair, her big brown eyes, her sarcastic personality, and her name that she gave herself.

She called herself Maximum. Maximum Ride.

**Like it? Review it! Don't like it? Review it anyways! I would love to hear your advice, comments, or suggestions about the story.**

**Read on, all you Avian-Americans!**

**~Max and Angel**

**MaximumAngel1**


	2. Fang goes to Abercrombie

**Here's chapter 2 everybody! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:**

**Do we look like James Patterson to you?**

**Didn't think so!**

MAX POV

_BEEEP! BEEEP! BEEEP! BE-_ I smacked the clock to make it shut up.

"Uggghhhh" I groaned. I looked at the clock. _6:00 _flashed on the digital screen. I sighed. I hated mornings almost as much as I hated sleeping. Why, you ask, do I hate sleeping? Well, it's because of the horrible nightmares I get about The School. I dream about the horrible 'experiments' gone dreadfully wrong, about the horrible tests that I went through, and about the poor kids there that I never saw again, after I left. I met some hybrids there that could communicate. Some I only saw for a brief period of time, maybe a few hours before they were taken away. There was one boy, however, who was an avian like me. We shared a cage until we were ten. By then, we were too big and had to get our own separate cages. He didn't talk much, I did most of it for us. I remember his eyes like obsidian, his shaggy black hair, and his funny habit of biting the scientists when they came for him. I called him Fang. He didn't have any other name. The scientists thought he was mute, that his vocal cords didn't work. But they did, he just chose not to use them a lot. He didn't smile much, or show emotion of any type. I could tell that the tests at the labs had scarred him.

When I was fourteen, I broke free of my chains out in the yard and flew away. I managed to dodge the bullets that they fired at me. I was reported to the police in Houston, Texas. The government came and found me. Then they took me to the Haven and gave me my new family. I've lived there for three years now, and I've made lots of friends. Many more kids turned up at the Haven. I was one of the first. And while the Haven helped me create a life for myself, I could never forget The School, the mutants I'd met, and especially my only friend there, Fang.

I hope that he's alright. I never saw him after that day that I was taken away, out of the cage and into another. No, I've never seen him since.

I snapped out of my daze and got back to the present. I threw on a blue cami and a black graphic t-shirt that had The Beatles on it. I slipped on my blue jeans and some socks. Then I raced down the stairs. I was greeted by Ella and Nudge having an animated conversation about the pros and cons of wearing foundation.

"It makes your face look so smooth and tan!" argued Ella.

"Yeah, but since when do I need a tan?" retorted Nudge. She had dark, mocha colored skin. "Besides, it rubs off on anything that your face touches, like your phone. I hate that!"

I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. I'm not a girly-girl. I don't wear makeup or anything like that. Fashion is not my forté. I decided to break into their conversation.

"Whoa, chill!" I said. "There is more to life than beauty products. You need to find your inner beauty!" I preached jokingly. I sounded like one of those stupid motivational videos that they force us to watch at school. Everybody laughed.

Dr. Martinez walked downstairs, dressed for work in her lab coat. "Are you girls hungry?" she asked. Like she needed to even bother. We human-avian hybrids need 3,000-4,000 calories, per day.

"YES!" we all shouted.

"Okay, I'll make waffles," Dr. Martinez laughed. She pulled batter that she had mixed last night out of the fridge. Then she pulled out the waffle iron and heated it up. We each had some steaming hot waffles on our plates in no time. I poured a lot of syrup onto mine and dug in.

"Mmm, Mom! These are awesome!" said Ella. We all called Dr. Martinez mom, but only Ella was actually her daughter. In fact, Ella was the only human out of the three of us. We all attended Haven School, though.

"Thanks, sweetie. Hurry up now, or you'll be late for school!" she replied.

I finished eating first. Nudge once told me that I eat like a pig. I told her that at least I didn't take a year to eat. That would be Nudge. She insists on taking excruciatingly tiny bites. She says that they're ladylike. I say that they're pointless because she's going to eat the food anyways so she might as well just get on with her life.

I ran upstairs and brushed out my hair so that it looked decent. Then I brushed my teeth and shoved my homework and song book into my blue backpack. That's another thing about me- I love to write music. I like to play my guitar and sing the songs I wrote. I don't think that anybody knows about my songs. I don't really like to share them with other people, they're just for myself to get out my feelings out.

I raced downstairs and out the door. I met Iggy at the end of my driveway. "Hey, Igs!" I called.

He turned in my general direction. "Hey, Max! What's up?" Iggy's blind, but he's got insane hearing! He can tell who's coming by the sound of their footsteps. And, of course, by their voice.

"Just another day for the one and only Maximum Ride!" I said. I have a few rules about my name: You call me Max, I call myself Max or occasionally Maximum. I don't like people using my full name. It's mine, and only mine. And if you call me Maxie, then I will personally see to your demise.

"Not much here, either," said Iggy. We walked down the road a little farther. Then Angel and Gazzy came racing out of their house.

"Can't catch me, Angel!" taunted Gazzy.

"Bet I can!" yelled Angel.

"Cannot!"

"Can!"

"Cannot!"

"Can!" yelled Angel as she tackled Gazzy and skillfully knocked him onto the grass so that he didn't hit the pavement.

"Ok, fine, you win Angel! Just get off of me already!" huffed Gazzy, spitting grass out of his mouth. "Yuck!"

I jogged over to where Angel was standing over her older brother. "Nice one, Angel!" I cheered. I gave Angel a big high five. She smacked my hand and I pretended that it hurt really bad. "Ow, Angel! That hurt!" I joked.

She laughed, then turned back to Gazzy. "Get up, slowpoke!" she giggled.

"I'm going, I'm going!" he grumbled. He got up and trudged across the green yard and down to the street. We all walked down and rounded the corner when we heard more yelling.

"HEY! WAIT UP!" yelled Nudge and Ella as they ran out the door. Everybody laughed as they were trying to catch up and pull their backpacks on at the same time. Once they were caught up (and had learned why Gazzy was covered in grass stains), we took the short walk to school.

We walked through the doors and slowly made our way to school. As soon as we got into school, Nudge started her motormouth ranting.

"ZOMG! Look at what Lissa's wearing! Is that short of a skirt even within the dress code? I think it's kind of cute, but it sooo does not work on Lissa. I'm surprised that a teacher hasn't made her change out of it. Of course, her dad is the principal. She could, like, get away with MURDER or something! And did you see- bthmmndth!" I clapped my hand over her mouth before she drove us all bonkers.

"Nudge, you know that licking my hand is not going to do anything for you!" I said smugly. I smirked, and then took my hand off of her mouth. "Ok, fine. You can talk now," I said.

Nudge nodded, but smartly decided not to make another 'comment'.

I got to my locker, it was the closest of ours to the main entrance. I started to unload my backpack and grab my English books for 1st hour. I saw a guy walk up and open the locker next to mine. Ugh, it's Dylan.

Dylan is another human-avian hybrid. He has blond hair and blue eyes. Most girls fall head-over-heels for him. He is, in Nudge's words, "super hot". I think that he's just a jerk. And you know what's even worse? He's got an immense crush on me! He's asked me out, and has been rejected, like five times. Ugh.

"Hey, Max," he said, trying (and failing) to sound casual.

"Dylan, the answer is still no. Please, get out of my face," I said with fake kindness that was very obvious. I smirked, and slammed my locker shut. It's hinges were messed up so you had to slam it or it wouldn't shut. Leaving Dylan speechless, I strode off to class and sat on my desk. My teacher, Mrs. Greensborough, sighed.

"Maximum, please sit in your chair," she said. My teachers were used to my attitude. They knew that I probably wouldn't listen. But I liked Mrs. G, as I called her.

"'Kay, Mrs. G!" I said. I sat myself down into my chair. Iggy came into class right as that happened.

"What's this?" he gasped in fake astonishment. "Max is actually _listening _to a teacher?!"

"Ha-ha, Iggy. Very funny," I said.

Slowly, the class made their way into 1st hour. This unfortunately included stupid Lissa and annoying Dylan. When the bell rang at 7:30, the assistant principal (Mr. Chu, whom I call Chuey, occasionally Chubacca) came on the morning announcements.

"Good morning, Haven School! Please stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance!" he said, just as he had for every day for the past three years that I had been here. Once the whole Pledge ordeal was over, he continued with the announcements. "Today we will have an assembly. Please report to the assembly hall instead of your sixth hour class. In other news, we will be having our first ever musical here! Anybody can try out. Auditions are tomorrow after school. Have a grrrreat day!" he said with his stupid fake enthusiasm. The intercom clicked off.

Just as the teacher was about to start the lesson, the intercom went back on.

"Oh, and one more thing. Would the following students please report to the office: Maximum Ride, Iggy Griffiths, Nudge Krystal, Zephyr and Adelaide Calloway and Dylan Greene. That's all for today!" said Chuey.

Report to the office? What?

FANG POV

"That's the kid! Get him!" I heard an Eraser say. I looked behind me. He was getting on the escalator and I could see three of his buddies close behind. They were smart enough not to morph into wolf form, not yet when we were out in public. I looked ahead and saw what store was near the top of the escalator. Perfect. I knew just how to get them off my trail.

I turned around and smirked at the Eraser. Then I started dashing up the escalator. I quickly walked into the store I had chosen: Abercrombie and Fitch. I had ducked into there earlier and a salesperson asked me if I wanted to be a model for them. Apparently I'm good-looking. I knew how the Erasers were designed to look like models, so I figured that they would get stopped by a salesperson, too.

I saw the Erasers get off the escalator and start running towards A&F. I quickly walked into the guys' section, grabbed a bunch of clothes that I thought would fit, and asked the nearest salesperson for a dressing room.

"Sure thing! Hey, would you like to be a model here for Abercrombie and Fitch?" said the overly happy salesperson.

I played along with the act. "I'll think about it, and let you know! Maybe when school's out this summer," I said. The salesperson nodded and then opened up a room.

"Here you go!" she said.

"Thanks," I replied, and flashed a smile.

I heard another salesperson trying to get the Erasers on board with a modeling contract. They were trying to refuse, but the saleslady was incessant. Oh well, sucks for them. I immediately put on some blue jeans and a red shirt that covered up my wings well. _Hmm. This might be a good disguise, _I thought. I heard more voices at the front of the store.

"Boss, he's not in here," said an Eraser.

The boss cursed. "How could you let him get away? Come on, he can't have gone too far," he said. After five minutes, I came out. I decided to buy a shirt and some blue jeans, in case I ever needed a disguise. I walked out into the mall.

"There he is!" shouted the Eraser that was waiting for me outside.

Oh, crap.

**You like? You review! :)**

**~MaximumAngel1**


	3. Max and Fang kick butt

**Here's a third chapter. Hope you like it !**

**Disclaimer:**

**Unless Dylan was mysteriously killed off and the last three books didn't happen, then no, We do not own Maximum Ride.**

**~Max**

MAX POV

"Would the following students please rep ort to the principal's office: Maximum R ide, Iggy Griffiths, Nudge Krystal, Zeph yr and Angelica Calloway and Dylan Green e. Thank you!"

I swear to you, faithful readers, that I didn't do anything wrong (this time, an yways).

"Yo, Igs. Come on!" I yelled. I grabbed my backpack and strode down to the offic e. The sub-principal,(yes, we have one o f those), Dr. Janssen, greeted me.

"What's up, Marian?" I liked to call the teachers by their first names, or whate ver nickname I could come up with. It ti cked them off. It's fun!

"Maximum, please call me Dr. Janssen. It 's really not that hard," she sighed. "D r. Gunther-Hagen is waiting in the confe rence room. I grabbed Iggy's hand and ya nked him through the open door into the conference room.

"Hey!" he protested. "Let me go!"

"Nope!" I taunted. "Hey, Haagen-Dazs!" T hat's what I called Dr. Gunther-Hagen. H ey, that's what I thought it sounded lik e! Don't you agree?

"Maximum Ride, I would put you in detent ion but I'm afraid that I cannot at the time. I'll inform you of why you are her e once the others arrive," he sighed. Sl owly, the others came in and took seats around the conference table. Nudge was b eing her usual chatterbox self.

"Hi Dr. Gunther-Hagen! What's up? Why ar e we here? Did I get in trouble because I don't remember doing anything against the rules. Ooh, maybe I'm a witness? I w onder who did something. Aw, Max, did yo u get detention again? I told you not to ! Remember, we were going to go get ice cream after- mmph!" I clapped my hand ov er Nudge's mouth.

Haagen-Dazs spoke. "Thank you, Miss Ride ," he said. I smirked at Nudge. "Ze reas on I have called ze six of you here is b ecause ve are implementing vhat is calle d 'Phase Two'. Zis phase in ze Haven is when ve send you out on missions to trac k and rescue ozer mutants. You haff show n exceptional abilities vith flying, so we are sending you to rescue an avian-hu man reported in Minnesota," he said.

"MINNESOTA? Isn't that, like, in the Arc tic circle? I don't want to go to the Ar ctic circle! But I heard that there's, l ike, this HUGE mall there. Like, the big gest mall in America! ZOMG, can we go th ere? That would be epic!" rambled Nudge. 

"Um, yes, Minnesota, no, not ze Arctic, yes zere is a mall and yes, your target vas reported zere so you can go to ze ma ll," said Haagen-Dazs.

Nudge shrieked. "ZOMG, that's, like, EPI C! You are, like, my new BFF!"

Haagen-Dazs looked like he didn't know w hat to say. "Alright Miss Krystal, zat's enough. Now, I vill be sending you out in tventy minutes. Your mission is to re scue zis kid and bring him back. Becauze you need to blend in, you vill each get $100 to spend at ze mall. Do not get dist racted from your mission! Are ve clear?" he instructed us.

"Yes, sir!" said everybody.

"You got it, Haagen-Dazs!" I said.

**~This is Bob the line break. Bob is skipp ity skipping you all the way to Minnesot a!~**

"I'm cold," Nudge complained. "This real ly is, like, the Arctic circle! I should totally be wearing stuff out of my wint er collection. I mean, it's great to kee p up with the trends but seriously, how can these people be wearing spring seaso n clothes now?" she ranted.

"Let's keep our eyes on the prize," I sa id. I don't think Haagen-Dazs really tru sts me, but apparently I'm the best figh ter and one of the oldest. So I'm in cha rge! Cool.

We landed on a field near the mall and s tarted walking towards it. It looked fre aking huge from the outside! I would get lost in there really easily. We walked in. I was certainly right about it being huge!

Stores lined the main walkways as far as I could see. I looked up and there were two more floors of stores! In the middl e of the mall, there was an entire freak ing _amusement park! _With roller coasters and stuff! Who are these people that just get to be here al l the time?

If you know anything about me, then you know that I'm not a girly girl. At all. So it's really saying something about th is place, cuz man, I want to go shopping !

"Where to, Nudge?" I asked. She, of all people, would know where to go.

"Well, I want to go to Abercrombie, and Hollister, and Aeropostale, and Pink, an d Bath and Body Works, and the Peeps sto re! And..." she kept rattling off the na mes of countless stores, all of which wo uld fit onto only, like, half a floor of this place!

"Let's start with the first one you said , um, Americarbie?" I guessed.

"It's ABERCROMBIE!" yelled Nudge. She lo oked offended. We walked over to this wa ll with a big "You are here!" sign. She found Abercrombie on the map and took of f.

We raced up the escalator and down the m ain walkway until, sure enough, there wa s a big store with a sign: 'Abercrombie' . There were a bunch of models walking a round in brand-name clothes. Typical Nud ge store. Also, there was some guy surro unded by a bunch of werewolves.

Wait, WHAT?

FANG POV

"I see him!" shouted an Eraser. He was o bviously patrolling to see if I had pull ed any funny business back in the store, which I had. Almost as if by magic, thr ee more Erasers appeared.

Were they going to morph? I tried to run quickly but one of them caught me and s lammed me back so I was against the wall of the store. I got a wicked bump on my head. It hurt like heck.

I don't think running was very smart, be cause they decided to morph into their w olf form. And trust me, it's scary. Ever seen Twilight? Like those werewolves, b ut they're real. Oh yeah, they are _definitely_ real!

One of them lunged at me. I kicked him i n the chest, winding him, but another ra ked my arm with his claws. They didn't a ctually get much of my arm, but I starte d to bleed where they did catch me.

"OW!" I shouted. They laughed.

"Ready to come back to School?" taunted one. Four more Erasers had shown up. Tha t's eight Erasers against one bird-kid. Fair fight? I think not! I could take fo ur at once, but not eight.

"Yah!" I heard someone shout. A teenage girl had just roundhouse kicked an Erase r, and he was now unconscious. Suddenly five more kids jumped into action. They ranged from my age all the way down to a bout ten. Oh, God. I hope these kids kne w what they were doing. They could get s eriously hurt!

"Well, for God's sake, don't just stand there! Fight back, oh smart one!" yelled the oldest girl. She looked oddly famil iar, but I couldn't quite place the face , so to speak.

I did as she commanded. We were mowing d own the Erasers, but more kept showing u p. Jeez, how many Erasers were there? We took down the last one that was an imme diate threat.

"Get to the nearest exit! That way! East parking ramp," commanded the girl. The group of kids obeyed her. "Come on, smar t one! We're supposed to bring you back with us. You're the bird kid, right?" sh e said to me. I nodded, mutely. I assume she was talking about my wings, althoug h how she knew about them was a mystery to me. I followed her, struggling to kee p up. I hadn't run this fast in a long t ime, not since my escape back in St. Lou is. Long story there.

The girl yelled to her team. "Get to the open edge of the parking ramp, then do a U&A, capiche?"

"Capiche!" they replied. Jeez, who was t his chick to just boss people around lik e that? She reminded me of Maximum Ride, back when I was little. Those memories made me cringe. I hated thinking about M ax being trapped back there.

We reached the parking ramp and suddenly I saw the most amazing thing in my enti re life: the kids threw off their jacket s and unfurled their very own WINGS! Fir st the little girl, with wings that were white like a dove or something. The lit tle boy, almost identical to the girl, h ad wings that were brown like an owl's. Then a darker skinned girl with mocha wi ngs. A blond guy who was about my age ha d brown wings. Then another guy with str awberry-blond hair. He had cream-ish win gs. Last came the girl who yelled at me. She had brown hair with lighter highlig hts. Her wings, however, made me do a do uble take.

I would never forget those beautiful bro wn wings, in their unique light-to-dark pattern. Those weren't just any wings. T hose were _her_ wings.

**[A/N: We're going to do some rapid POV s witching. Max=BOLD. Fang=**_italics_**]**

** We did a U&A, and thankfully the kid wa s competent at that. Well, he's not real ly a kid. He looked like my age, actuall y. I took a closer look at him. It almos t made me fall out of the sky.**

** He had shaggy black hair, obsidian eyes , and wings like midnight. I've only see n wings like that on one person, ever.**

_I couldn't believe it. It seemed so obvi ous now._

**Of course! I should have known!**

_That's Maximum Ride!_

**That's Fang!**

_**"I remember you!"**_

**You like? You review!**

**Review button: FEED ME REVIEWS!**

**Max: Um, I would listen to it if I were you...**

**Review button: RAWR!**

**~MaximumAngel1**


	4. Haagen-Dazs's accent is annoyi ng

**Hello, faithful readers! We're back with chapter 4!**

**DISCLAIMER TIME:**

**Unfortunately,we are not the owners**

**of Maximum Ride.**

**James Patterson is.**

**Lucky. *goes and cries in corner***

**[A/N: For this bit: Max POV, **_Fang POV, __**Both**_**]**

_I couldn't believe it. It seemed so obvi ous now._

**Of course! I should have known!**

_That's Maximum Ride!_

**That's Fang!**

_**"I remember you!"**_

**MAX POV**

It struck me like lightning. That's Fang . The one and only! I could not believe my eyes. Seven years since I had last se en him, and there he was. Right behind m e!

"Yo, Max, come on! We gotta leave this p lace and get back to Haven!" yelled Gazz y.

I snapped back to reality. "Right. Run t o the end, there's only a concrete divid er between us and the sky. Just jump ove r it and go!" I yelled. Cars screeched t o a halt as we ran past them, not bother ing to look out for them. I saw a cell p hone camera flash, and heard people yell ing. Poor humans, they didn't know what just happened.

I focused on making the swift jump over the divider. The rest of my flock was al ready in the sky. Fang was behind me. I jumped over and beat my wings to gain al titude. I whooped in victory.

"Max! We did it!" shouted Angel. She smi led like the adorable little kid she was .

Cheers erupted from the flock. I turned around. Fang was smiling. In all the yea rs that I had known him, he didn't smile often. Didn't talk much. I did most of the talking for him. Now that I think ab out it, I acted like Nudge back then! I snickered at the thought of me acting li ke Nudge.

"We've got a lot of catching up to do," I said.

**NUDGE POV**

I looked up at Max and the new kid, Fang . Apparently they knew each other from b ack at The School. Max was talking about the Haven and what they did there. Fang just nodded, he must be the 'tall, dark and silent' type. I admit, he was prett y good-looking!

"Ohmygosh, Angel! Can you believe it? We took out a bunch of werewolves! That wa s epic!" I rambled to Angel. Everybody s ays I talk too much, but I think that th ey just don't appreciate it when I share my feelings. I call it 'expressing my e motions through words'. It's a life skil l! I read it in a book!

Angel nodded, sharing my excitement. "Th at was really cool! And now there's a ne w bird kid like us!"

"Look at those two," I commented. "Max n ever talks that much! She looks so happy ! I think that they would be a cute coup le. Don't you think so? They're like two birds of a feather! Pun intended!"

Angel giggled. "You're right, Nudge! The y're so adorable together!" she agreed.

"Eew, gross!" said Gazzy.

"Aw, come on, Gazzy!" I said. "You're no fun!"

"I am, too!"

"Are not!"

"Am too!"

"Are not!"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Iggy. "Jeez, what are you, three years old?"

We sighed. "Sorry, Iggy!"

I whispered so that only Gazzy could hea r me. Or so I thought. "Are not!" I whis pered.

"NUDGE!" yelled Iggy. Shoot.

"I'm sorry!" I said. Sometimes Iggy's no fun, either.

Max interrupted our argument. "Guys, I w ould like you to properly meet Fang. He was my best friend back at The School," she said. She flinched at the words, 'Th e School'. I knew that it brought back p ainful memories for her.

Everybody gave a chorus of 'hi's and 'ni ce to meet you's.

"Hey," said Fang. Wow, he really doesn't talk much. This would take a little get ting used to. He looked at Max, like he was expecting her to say something.

She explained about what happened at The School. "We shared a cage when we were little. I called him Fang, because he us ed to bite the whitecoats when they woul d try to get him for an, ah, 'experiment '. When we were ten, we were moved to se parate cages because we were getting too big for just one. I escaped three years ago, and so did he. It was bad luck tha t we didn't meet each other. But it's go od luck that we're here now. I don't rea lly want to talk about stuff from The Sc hool. Capiche?" she told us.

"Capiche!" we all yelled back.

The rest of the flight went on with us j ust chatting and occasionally doing litt le tricks. I did a somersault in the air and then snapped out my wings again. Ga zzy dive-bombed Iggy and then pulled up at the last second. Poor Iggy didn't see him coming, because, well, he's blind! I could tell that Max had a bit of a cru sh on Fang. Ha! I knew they would be cut e together!

Meanwhile, Fang was being Mr. Emotionles s Brick Wall. I suppose years of living on the run, plus The School, would make you like that. Although Max wasn't like that at all, she did hide some emotions that would have otherwise been obvious. It's easy to tell when she's happy, but not when she's sad. And you better watch out when she's angry or you're in deep trouble. She will kick your butt all the way to next Tuesday! Yikes.

"Look!" shouted Dylan. He had exceptiona l vision, better than the rest of us.

"What?" we shouted.

"Oh yeah, right," he apologized. "The Ha ven's really close now. We should start losing altitude now," he said.

We did so, and sure enough, The Haven em erged from the expansive forest. Gotta k eep the place a secret, you know! So why not in the middle of a forest?

We slowed down and soon, we landed in th e big field at school. We were home! The mission was a success!

**FANG POV**

We landed in a huge field near a big bri ck building. "What's that?" I said.

"That's the school, where we have our le ssons," Max explained. I cringed at the word 'school'. Oh well, gotta get used t o it.

When we entered, I saw lots of lockers a nd doors to what I assumed were classroo ms. I saw a TV show once that had a scho ol in it. This looked similar to the one in the show. I was in awe at the size o f this place! It certainly wasn't the si ze of the mall, but lots of people could fit in here, still. I couldn't imagine how many people would need to be in here ! How many people were there in this 'Ha ven' place? I was a little skeptical.

"Yo, Fang. Earth to Fang?" said Max, wav ing a hand in my face.

"Sorry," I mumbled. Okay, I'm not the mo st talkative person ever. Not by a longs hot!

"We've gotta go check in with Haagen-Daz s and get you set up here. You know, wit h a house and stuff," she said. House? H aagen-Dazs? I was a bit overwhelmed, but I nodded like I understood her perfectl y.

"Great!" she said. "Let's go!" She yanke d me forward and ran into a big area mar ked 'reception'. "Yo, Chuey! Look who we found in Minne-snow-ta!" she said to a guy at a desk. His sign said 'Mr. Chu, A ssistant Principal'. I guess this is Max 's way of respecting authority. Typical of her, I thought. She hadn't changed a bit!

She burst through a door marked 'Dr. Gun ther-Haagen, Principal'. This must be Ha agen-Dazs.

"Hallo, Maximum. You're bahck qvickly," he said calmly. Dr. G-H was kind of old looking, but not ancient. He was balding , though, and a bit overweight. Maybe he ate too much Haagen-Dazs, I thought.

Max replied, gushing out information. "Y eah, we took down a bunch of Erasers and flew out of the parking ramp! The mall was freaking huge! You shoulda seen it, Haagen-Dazs! And guess what the best par t is? I know Fang! He's my friend from b ack at The School!" she practically shou ted.

"Please, Maximum, call me by my real nam e. You hahve no respect for authority, a lthough I doubt that you vill change you r vays anytime in the foreseeable future . So dis is, ah, Fang, you said?" I nodd ed. "Great. Since you already know Ms. R ide, I vill put you in all of her classe s. School starts at 7:30 AM. You vill li ve with Dr. Jeb Batchelder and an avian boy, Iggy. I assume you met him?" Once a gain, I nodded. "Vonderful. You vill rec eive more details tomorrow, however I vi ll give you a short summary of vat ve do here.

This is a place known only as The Haven. It vas created as a safe haven for chil dren who have been experimented on, such as yourself. It vas founded when it was brought to the attention of the governm ent dat there vas unlawful experimentati on on humans. Phase vone of this operati on vas to gather and train a task force of mutants. Phase two, vhich has been re cently implemented, is to rescue and tra in as many children and teenagers as pos sible, until they become legal adults. T hen they are no longer vards of the gove rnment and vill do as they vish. Lastly, Phase three will be implemented vhen ve have enough trained mutants. Ve vill vo rk to destroy unlawful institutes foreve r, in hopes that ve can put an end to th is crime," he explained. Wow, this dude had a very heavy accent. Creepy.

I nodded, and said, "Thank you, Dr. Gunt her-Haagen,".

"You are very welcome, Fang. Now, go mov e in to your house and get a good night' s rest. You have class tomorrow," he ins tructed.

"Yes, sir," I said. I left the room and Max followed me. I overheard Dr. G-H mak e a remark to another teacher.

"I daresay that this young man vill be a good influence on Ms. Ride," he said.

I snickered. No way in the world was Max going to be 'influenced' by me! Besides , that was my classic 'respecting author ity' façade. Come on, you didn't really think I was all 'pleases' and 'thank you s'. I like to have fun.

Nudge walked up to me. "ZOMG, Fang, you are going to love it here! You get to li ve with Iggy! He's nice. I think that it will be fun to have a new friend! Somet imes you get tired of the same people. N o offense, guys. But now there's a new f riend to get to know!" Sheesh, she sure talks a lot!

We walked out as the sun started to set over the forest. We reached the street w here all of us (except that guy named Dy lan) lived.

"Bye guys! See you tomorrow!" shouted An gel as she and Gazzy ran off to their ho use.

"Bye Fang! I can't wait to see you tomor row! Since you're older than me, you won 't be in my classes. But you can sit wit h us at lunch! That wou- mmph!" Max clap ped her hand over Nudge's motormouth.

"Come on, Fang! This is our house!" shou ted Iggy. He was already at the front do or of the next house, which is apparentl y where I will be living. I kept walking until I reached the driveway. I turned back at Max and waved goodbye.

"See ya, Fang!" she called back at me.

A house to live in? A 'family' to live w ith? Neighbors? School? Food (I hope)?

This would take some getting used to.

**Max:So, Fang is back at The Haven! What will happen when he faces a new challeng e: School? Read on to find out!**

**But while you wait...**

**Angel: Review! Please! *Bambi eyes***

**Fang: Aw, how did you know that I can't refuse the Bambi eyes?**

**Angel: I didn't, but I do now! *evil lau gh***

**Fang: Crap. WHY ME? WHYYYY?**

**Angel: *Bambi eyes* Fang, get me some ch ocolate!**

**Fang: Yes, ma'am. *sigh***

**Max: Well, that was fun! Sorry that this chapter was mostly filler. But it did g ive you some info that I won't have to e xplain later. Next chapter will have som e drama! I promise! Girl scout honor!**

**Angel: You're not a Girl Scout...**

**Max: Well, I promise anyways!**

**That's enough rambling. Bye, faithful re aders!**

**~MaximumAngel1**


	5. A slip of the tongue causes problems

**Hey guys! We're back!**

**First I'm going to shout out to our first reviewer: faxMRpercabethPJ ! Her stories include ONE WORD: RESPONSES! and It's Always Love, Isn't It? Go check out her stories, they're really good!**

**I'm going to get on with the story now, but first:**

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I own only the plot, and any OCs that I make up while writing. So basically just the plot!**

**MAX POV**

_BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP! _shrieked my alarm clock. I groaned and smacked it. It flew off of the table. Dang, that's my third clock this month! **[A/N: At the time this was written, it's April 2nd. Suspicious?]** I sighed, and dragged myself out of bed.

I picked up the alarm clock. The digital screen was cracked in tiny little spider webs of silver. There was also a dent in the side where it hit the wall. I inspected the wall. There was a small dent in it. Oops.

I moved my table in front of the wall, in hopes that it would not be noticed. I called out to Dr. Martinez.

"MOOOOOM! I BROKE ANOTHER CLOCK!" I yelled. Wow, all caps. That must have been really loud... and I just broke that pesky fourth wall, didn't I? Sorry.

"Again, Max? That was your third clock this month!" Mom yelled back.

"Yeah, sorry!" I shouted.

"I'll try to get you a new one, but the cashier at the store is starting to worry about my apparent obsession with alarm clocks," she replied. I laughed. I could just picture the looks that poor Mom got at the store. We have a few stores in 'town', but they're nothing like the stores at that mall we crashed. I almost wish that we could have stayed longer, and this is coming from _me! _Me!

I lumbered over to my closet and picked out what I was going to wear. I chose my light orange plaid shirt, my light wash ripped jeans, and my fake-leather ankle boots. They were really cute! I added my orangey dyed leather jacket as a final touch. It sounds weird, but it's actually really cute! **[A/N: The jacket is real, it's at Macy's (American Rag Juniors Bomber jacket)]**

I wandered downstairs to get breakfast. I managed to pour a bowl of cereal without burning down the house. Ella and Nudge applauded when I was done. I was currently obsessed with Chocolate Chex **[I do not own Chocolate Chex, unfortunately. They are delicious!]**. I chowed down on my Chex quickly, then raced upstairs to brush my hair and my teeth. I packed up my backpack and headed outside. I had this routine down to a science: Wake up, break clock, get dressed, eat, brush hair and teeth, get backpack, and leave for school. That's pretty much the only normal part of my life, what with the _wings _and everything!

"Yo, Igs!" I called. "Hey, Fang!" I added. I saw Fang and Iggy walking to school, right on schedule. I smiled and raced down the driveway.

"Hey Max," said Iggy, smiling. Fang acknowledged me with a nod. Always the silent type, that's Fang for you.

"Are you excited for class Fang?" I asked, being careful with my word choice. I have learned that it's not the best idea to say the word 'school' around Fang. I saw him cringe at the word last night.

"Meh," he said. "Sorta." Fang didn't seem excited at all. Then again, he is a bit of a Mr. Emotionless Brick Wall. I should start calling him that...

"Well, you should be! First period is English with Mrs. Greensborough. She's nice. Then we have Math with Mr. W, he's really weird and always tells us stories about when he was in high school. Next is Specialized Training, which is really cool. It's like gym class for us mutants. We train to rescue people, like you. Man, that was fun, kicking those Eraser's butts. We should do it again sometime. Lunch comes next, and then World Studies with Mr. Bell. He's the gym teacher for the humans, too, but he's a bit strict. Then is Communications with Ms. R, who's a little crazy but really nice. Last is Science with Mr. Bernard, he's nice and obsessed with Star Wars. I think that you'll like them," I explained.

Fang looked like he was trying to process all of this, but he nodded. "Ok," he said. Again, what a wordsmith. (That's sarcasm for ya, kiddos!)

Soon, the rest of the flock (as I called us bird-kids) joined us and we arrived at school. Nudge started to rant.

"ZOMG, Fang! You are going to loooove school! It is seriously cool! There's so many kids like us! But don't talk to Lissa and Brigid, they're jerks. And might I add, they have really bad dye jobs. Lissa looks like The Little Mermaid with her red hair! And Brigid's roots all show, she's obviously a blonde. Honestly, they really need to fix their coloring!" she rambled. I tuned her out after that. Then someone walked up.

"Speak of the devil..." I commented. Lissa herself had just walked up. Now I totally see what Nudge meant about The Little Mermaid. Her hair was actually _red_!

"Nice to see you, too, Maxie. I just wanted to introduce myself to the new kid. I'm Lissa!" she said, scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Fang," said Fang. Lissa handed him the scrap she had written on.

"Well, I'll see you around!" she said. She glared at me. What was her problem?

She gave a wave to Fang, and mouthed 'Call me!" I almost barfed in my mouth. There was no way that that chick could have MY Fang!

Wait, did I just say that?

"Yup, and out loud, too!" said Iggy.

Oh, this is not good. Not good at all. I blushed deep red and dashed off to my locker, leaving the laughing flock behind. I was a laughingstock. The laughingstock of the laughing flock! Haha! That's so PUNny! Get it?

That was awkward...

Moving on! Anyways, I started putting in my locker combo. It wouldn't work. I tried it like five times. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up. It was Dylweed.

"What, Dylweed?" I snarled. Jeez, I was in a bad mood.

"Whoa, sorry Max! I was just wondering what you were doing at my locker," he said. I looked over. Sure enough, this was Dylweed's locker, not mine.

"Oh, sorry," I mumbled. I blushed, and laughed a little to cover up my embarrassment. I entered my combo in the correct locker. It worked the first time. I shoved in my books and grabbed my stuff. I headed off to class. This would be a long day.

**FANG POV**

I had walked away shortly after Max did. I could tell she was embarrassed, but if we're all being perfectly honest here, I may have had a teensy little crush on her when I was little. And it may be coming back, if you catch my drift. I found my new locker and entered the combination on my little schedule that the principal gave me. It opened to a brand-new locker. I guess that there weren't many students yet.

I started putting in my stuff, but then I turned to see what Max was doing. She was across the hall and down a little from my locker. I saw her furiously trying to open her locker, with no success. Then that Dylan dude walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. They talked a little bit, and she blushed and laughed. What? Were they, like, flirting? I couldn't see Max being with a guy like that, but I guess she had changed.

I was mad. Then I thought about that ginger chick earlier. I know that my neighbors didn't like her, but maybe I would. She seemed nice. And she liked me! I almost smiled. But I don't smile. The School scarred me too much. Those memories had hardened me, until I was just an emotionless teenager. On the outside, that is. I thought back to a memory that always gave me nightmares.

_**Flashback**_

_ Seven years ago..._

_ I heard footsteps outside the room where our cage was. A whole team of whitecoats and six Erasers came marching in._

_ The lady who was the head whitecoat grinned maliciously. "We think that you guys are getting too old to share a cage. We don't want anything to happen to you, or to us. So we're going to move one of you to a different cage. She unlocked the hatch of our cage and motioned to an Eraser. He grabbed the arm of the closest of us to the door. That was Max._

_ "Come on, girlie. Let's get going!" he growled. Max shrieked._

_ "No! I don't want to go! You can't make me, dog face!" she yelled. Max always had something to say._

_ "Yes we can, girlie. We can always make you," snarled the Eraser. He pulled on her arm._

_ I bit his hand. No words, however, could escape me._

_ "Hey! The mute one bit me!" yelled the Eraser in pain. I snickered. Another reached in and yanked Max halfway out. She shrieked._

_ "You are coming, and that's final!" shouted the whitecoat. The Erasers tugged on her arms, trying to pull her out. I grabbed her legs, trying to keep her inside the cage with me. It might not be comfortable, but it's safe. I held on with all of my ten-year-old might. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough._

_ "Stop it! I don't want to leave! No! Fang!" she yelled, kicking as they dragged her away._

_ I spoke my first words in three months. "No, Max!" I yelled. My voice was raspy from disuse. The scientist merely scribbled something on her clipboard, like 'Subject has the ability to speak' or something like that. Then she looked up._

_ "Punish him for disobedience," she said._

_ They zapped me with a Taser. I faded into unconsciousness. I never saw Max again. Not until yesterday._

_**END FLASHBACK**_

I shuddered at the horrific memories. That was nowhere near the worst physical harm they caused, but emotionally it was like a gunshot. I never spoke again until I left the School.

Slamming my locker shut, I walked to the classroom listed on the schedule. Sure enough, a sign on the door read, 'Mrs. Greensborough'. So this was English class, huh.

I found a seat near the back. When Red-Haired Lissa walked in, she shrieked and ran to sit by me.

"Fangy!" she called gleefully. Maybe this girl was crazier than I thought...

She gave me a big hug. I recoiled automatically from the physical contact. She pouted.

"Aww, Fangy! Don't you like me?" she whined. I shrugged. "Of course you do! I'm just kidding!" she exclaimed.

I turned around. Max was giving Lissa the death stare. What did Lissa ever do to Max?

"Don't mind Max. She's just a big slacker. And a jerk," spat Lissa.

I turned back to Lissa. I didn't think that Max would ever be like that. But had things changed? Maybe Max isn't the same as she was seven years ago. Maybe I was wrong.

Maybe she had changed.

**You like? I hope so!**

**R&R!**

**~MaximumAngel1**


	6. A race, a fight, and a river in Egypt

**Hello again, faithful readers! I was shocked to see the viewer report about how many of you have seen this story: it was a ton! I would just like to request that if you read the story, please please pleeeease review and/or follow and favorite! This is my first story so any advice would be appreciated.**

**A big shout out to the four people who followed the story: fangisamazing (nice username! I agree 100%), Duskingdawn, midnight crescent and YeongEunYoon. Love you guys! But not in a creepy way, I promise!**

**Disclaimer time!**

**We do not own Maximum Ride. That's why we're on FanFiction. Duh!**

**MAX POV**

I glared at Lissa. She glared back. We have a mutual hatred for each other. But currently, I really was mad at her. She was currently flirting with Fang, who appeared to be completely clueless. She called me a slacker and a jerk!

I don't admit it, but I'm actually a straight-A student. No joke! I just didn't really act like it. It's just not the way I am.

So, that makes Lissa two things: a liar and a hypocrite. Hypocrite, because _she's _the jerk. Not me!

I couldn't stand the way she was acting around Fang. He doesn't deserve that! It must be torture... But as he cast one last glance at me, he didn't leave her. He turned away from me. Didn't he trust me? And how could he like _Lissa? _Lissa! A song came into my head: You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift.

Ok. Maybe I do, sorta, a teensy little bit, like Fang.

Maybe I'm jealous.

Maybe.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip to hour 3~~~~~**

English and Math were easy. I even managed not to get another tardy! One more means detention. When the bell rang to signal that math was over, I hurried out of class and stashed my books in my locker. And no, I did not attempt to open Dylweed's locker. I rushed off to Specialized Training. This would be fun.

I entered the big area for class. It will be hard to describe class until I give you a little background on The Arena. It's basically a giant forested area with various clearings, water features and a huge meeting area in the center. That's where we meet for class. Our coach was a human who specialized in working with our abilities and strengths. Today, my training would include combat training with other kids in the "flock", martial arts on the ground, and running a lap around the huge arena. It's more than a mile in circumference, to give you an idea of the sheer size of this place! I checked in with Coach. He said to train with Fang, because he was new. Oh joy.

"So," I said awkwardly.

"So... what?" replied Fang.

"Um, well, I guess we need to do our run first. One lap around the forest. Race ya!" I shouted, taking off like a bullet.

"Not fair!" yelled Fang, as he struggled to catch up. We sprinted to the edge of The Arena and then went into a steadier pace. It was still fast, mind you. Being a mutant will do that.

I remained in the lead until the end. Fang started to pull ahead of me.

"Not so fast, Fang. You can't get ahead of Maximum Ride!" I yelled. I started sprinting like my life depended on it. I overtook him just as our lap was ending. The coach pressed a button on his stopwatch and started furiously scribbling on his little clipboard.

"I won!" I cheered. I jumped up and down like a five year old on her birthday.

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Fang. Ha! Shows him who's boss here!

"Come on! Aerial combat next!" I shouted. "U&A!" I instructed. Up and away we went. I suddenly recalled the goings-on of earlier today. I would not be taking it easy on Fang. He's got it in for him now. Makes me wonder: how did he change from my best friend so quickly? What did I do?

**FANG POV**

After Max had beaten me in the race, I was ready to beat her in Aerial Combat. My basic understanding of what I was supposed to do was fly up in the air, and spar with Max. I could handle that. I saw that Dylan and Iggy were going at it towards the edge of the arena. It looked kind of fun. Especially when I beat her! I hope.

"Let's give these people a show, shall we?" said Max. How cocky. I'll show her!

"We shall," I said, as I attempted to give her a swift uppercut. It was quickly blocked, though.

"It's not that easy, Fang!" taunted Max. She faked a punch to my head. I fell for her trick, and was punished for my ignorance by getting a famous Maximum Ride Roundhouse Kick. I almost got the breath knocked out of me. Key word: almost.

I faked being out of breath, gasping for dramatic effect. I heard Max snicker. She attempted another kick, but I dropped below her before her foot could hit me. She lost her balance and tipped backwards. I took this opportunity to deliver a few quick jabs.

She was now the one without breath. I started to gain the upper hand. I delivered a snap kick, which was almost dodged: it clipped her side as she tried to sidestep. Although, now that I think about it, it was more of a side-flap. We were, after all, in the air.

"Ow!" she cried, clutching her side. A crowd had started to gather, both on the ground and in the air.

"That was for flirting with Dylan," I said.

"What are you talking about?" she cried. She seemed genuinely confused.

"Remember, at your locker this morning? You talked, he talked, you blushed and laughed? Ring any bells?" I said sarcastically. Two could play the sarcasm game.

"Oh, that? You must be joking! Flirting? With _Dylweed? _Oh, that's a good one!" she laughed. "I was blushing, because he pointed out the fact that I was entering my locker combo into _his _locker instead of mine! I only laughed to cover up my embarrassment!" she explained.

"Oh, that makes sen- oof!" I said. She had punched me in the stomach before I could finish my sentence.

"What was that for?" I yelled.

"Well, this is aerial combat. We're supposed to fight! And that, Fang, was for flirting with Lissa!" she said.

"She started it!" I said defensively. Then I realized that I sounded like a five-year-old.

"Well, you didn't end it!" snapped Max.

"How was I supposed to? What do I say, 'get out of my face'?"

"YES!" she yelled.

Suddenly, Nudge broke in. She was in the air, watching the fight. "Oh, you two are hopelessly in love with each other!" she observed.

"NO WE'RE NOT!" shouted me and Max at the exact same time.

Nudge chuckled. "What's the longest river in the world?" she asked. Whoa, random topic change! Although, she is Nudge. I was still confused though, until Iggy told us the answer.

"Denial!" he cackled. Max groaned. Suddenly, I zipped over and kicked her, hard. She gasped, and started losing altitude. She regained control of her flying and collapsed on the ground. Oh shoot. Did I hurt her?

Suddenly, everyone cheered.

"What? What did I do?" I asked. It was a valid question, but everybody found it extremely funny.

"You beat Max! Nobody has ever beaten Max in Aerial Combat before!" chortled Iggy.

Wow. I felt pretty special. Not to mention that I got total payback for losing the race! Sweet!

Everybody else slowly made their descent to the ground. I got applause from everybody in the class. I guess this was a big deal. I smiled on one of the rare occasions that I felt the need to show emotion.

"Good job," grumbled Max. She was obviously not accustomed to defeat. Mwahaha!

Hehe. This was fun! I am beginning to like this place... maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Yes, I could get used to this.

Martial Arts was pretty dull. We did Kung Fu today, although I got the impression that we practiced many different types of martial arts. I got stuck learning forms with the beginners. Over three years, Max had advanced in this class to 2nd degree black belt. I had yet to obtain even a white belt. Sucks to be me. Kidding!

The only problem was that this stuff was way too easy. But in Martial Arts, you need to memorize the forms and moves to advance. I managed to be able to correctly repeat the forms well enough to obtain an orange belt before class was over. When class ended, everybody made a mad dash for the lunchroom.

**~~~~SKIP TO LUNCH CUZ I'M TOO LAZY TO WRITE ABOUT WALKING THERE!~~~~~**

I brought my tray back to the lunch table. Lunch today was Macaroni and Beef. Apparently, it was delicious. That explained the mad dash for the lunchroom. I was going to sit with Max, who was officially friends with me again, along with her friends: Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy and Angel. Suddenly I heard a high pitched noise that stung my ears. Oh, wait. That's just Lissa!

"FAAAANGY! Come sit with us!" she motioned to her table. I had seen enough TV to know that this was what they called the 'popular table'. She was with that guy Dylan, and another ginger whose name was Brigid, I think. Also, there was a guy named Sam. He and Brigid were humans, I'm pretty sure.

"No thanks! I've got friends over here!" I emphasized the word 'friends' so that she would (hopefully) get the message. I couldn't tell, but at least right now she did because she made a big sigh and sat down, obviously thinking this was an insult. I guess it was.

"Nice one!" said Max, and she smacked me a high-five so hard that my hand stung.

"Thanks," I said. I took a big bite of the macaroni and beef. It was truly perfection! Mmm. I savored every last bite.

"Fang likes it! It's official. Fang is cool," announced Max. I guess it really was a big deal. But I was definitely happy to be accepted into the flock.

We ate our lunch and talked about our day. Nudge was talking about how great this British band was, I think it was called New Direction or something. Then she started talking about these books called Twilight.

"Nudge, nobody wants to hear about sparkly vampires and Erasers," said Max. Erasers? In the books? I would never read those!

"That is so not what Twilight is! It's a paranormal romance novel with hot vampires and sexy werewolves!" Nudge sounded offended. She took a big bite on Mac N' Beef to show her anger.

"Whatever. The point is, we're not interested!" retorted Max. These were some pretty interesting people, I must admit!

"I really need the secret recipe for this macaroni!" commented Iggy. I had learned that he loved to cook, when he made omelets for breakfast this morning. They were delicious, just like this macaroni.

"I second that emotion!" said Gazzy.

"I have a plan: I plant a stink bomb to distract them, while you run in and find the recipe! You got your spare?" asked Iggy.

"I always do! Let's go!" and with that, Gazzy and Iggy ran off to plant their bomb.

"Close your nose, Fang," advised Angel. I saw that the rest of the flock had done so. I didn't know the full extent of their stink bomb capacities, so I just did as I was told.

A few seconds later, I saw a green mushroom cloud of gas erupt from their hiding place. I saw Gazzy dart in the kitchen as staff members and kids all took cover and tried to escape the stench. He dashed out triumphantly with a little card in his hand. Then Gazzy and Iggy zipped back to the table and plugged their noses, pretending to be innocent bystanders. In all the chaos, I think that they actually got away with it.

When the smell finally cleared, Gazzy started copying the recipe into his notebook and then gave the piece of paper to Iggy.

"There, now we can ditch the card," he said.

"Plant it on Dylan!" suggested Max.

"Agreed," said Iggy. He cackled evilly.

Yup, I think it's official. I like school! And maybe, just maybe, a certain flying girl.

No, I think it's true.

I am in love with Maximum Ride.

**YES! This is how I like to end a chapter! With a realization that is crucial to the building of plot, or in this case FAX!**

**I promise that there will be a bit more action in the next chapter and a new event! It will involve the rescue of a certain flying person... can you guess who? I will give you a shoutout if you guess correctly!**

**My goal for this chapter is to get more than zero reviews! Come on, please review! I know you can! Just press the button! I would really appreciate suggestions or advice, but really anything is welcome!**

**Review button: FEED ME! I'M HUNGRY!**

**Max: Oh great, here it goes again. I'm gonna name you Bertie!**

**Bertie: RAWR!**

**Well, you heard Bertie! Go press that review button!**

**~MaximumAngel1**


	7. Awkwardness in Orlando (Orlando part 1)

**Hello everybody! We are back! Yet again, to bring you another update!**

**Sorry for the wait, we were busy writing up ****Smarter than the average kid. **** Thank you to Duskingdawn and Arizonakittylover for being awesome reviewers! You made us smile! **

**:) - see?**

**Disclaimer time:**

**Angel: Come on Max, you have to say it.**

**Max: NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!**

**Angel: *evil smile* Do you own Dylan?**

**Max: NO! I don't own that scum! DO NOT SPEAK OF HIM!**

**Angel: Then you don't own MR.**

**Max: Dang it! You tricked me!**

**Story time! MAX POV**

After the macaroni and beef incident, the day went normally. I was officially friends again with Fang. Dylan got framed for stealing the recipe and got detention. Serves him right, that annoying weirdo. Lissa refused to talk to me or Fang for the rest of the day. Score! Best of all, I managed to go without a tardy! That means no detention!

Sixth hour started normally, with a lesson on ecosystems. Boring, right? Mr. Bernard droned on about how ecosystems related to Star Wars. I really didn't understand the connection. I started daydreaming about people turning into Yoda. After successfully tuning out the teacher for the entire class period, the bell rang signalling the end of the day. Everyone immediately started talking. Then, the intercom went on. Chu-bacca started to make an announcement.

"Would the following students please report to the office: Maximum Ride, Iggy Griffiths, Nudge Krystal, Zephyr and Adelaide Calloway, Dylan Greene, and, um, Fang. That's all! Have a nice day!" he announced.

I figured this was about the Macaroni and Beef incident, and cursed Iggy and Gazzy under my breath. Of course, they just had to ruin this day! I trudged down to the office, shooting death glares at Iggy. Fang walked behind us stealthily. You could barely hear his footsteps, even if you were trying hard to hear them.

Angel skipped up to us. "Iggy, did you get us in trouble? Max seems to think so," she asked sweetly.

"I don't really know, Angel," he sighed. Our small group walked into the office, where Nudge, Gazzy and Dylan already were.

I pretended to tip my invisible cap. "Good day, Chuey, Marian," I said in a British accent.

"Ms. Ride..." groaned Dr. Janssen.

"Yes, guv'nor?"

She sighed. "Ms. Ride, Dr. Gunther-Hagen is waiting for you in his office. All of you, go on in," she motioned towards the door. We made our way in slowly, Angel eagerly skipping inside while Fang hung back warily behind the rest of us.

"He doesn't bite, Fang. That's your job," I reassured him.

He emitted an odd choking noise, which I recognized as a laugh. I silently shouted in joy. Fang never laughs. Like, ever. That means that he really likes this place. Suddenly, I felt like a therapist. Yikes. I brushed off this awkward notion and laughed with him. We walked into the office (which is the size of a conference room) and sat down with the others.

Haagen-Dazs cleared his throat and started speaking with that annoying accent of his. "You ah called here becauz zere has been a sighting ov a new mutant. Ve vant you to rescue her. It is just like last time vith Fang here," he explained. Smiles lit up on (almost) everybody's faces.

Nudge immediately opened her mouth to rant. "ZOMG! No way! We just went to rescue someone, like, yesterday! Is it another bird-kid? I hope so. Is it a girl? You said it was, right? How old is she? What's her name? Do you know what she looks like? Ooh, where are we going? Is it the Arctic circle again? I hope not. I hope it's somewhere warm, with a beach, or a pool, or something... ZOMG this will be so fun!" she squealed.

Haagen-Dazs was once again astounded by her lung capacity. "Ah-hem. Yes, a girl, ve don't know how old she is, don't know her name, ve have a rough description for her, her hair is golden brown, approximately five foot eight, her vings are brown and fade light to dark," he answered. That description fit me perfectly. Weird. I brushed it off as a coincidence. It always amazed me that he could keep up with Nudge's ranting.

"And zat brings me to ze next topic: vere you are going. She is reported in a very interesting location: Universal Studios, in Orlando, Florida."

Cue fangirl squee from Nudge: "EEEEEK! FLORIDA! It's so warm and pretty and fun and awesome and did I mention WARM?!" she shrieked. Everyone covered their ears, especially Iggy because his hearing is so good.

I had a few questions of my own. "Haagen-Dazs? Isn't Florida a bit far to fly on our own? And when are we leaving? What do we need to bring, anyways?" I asked, being the only _sensible _person in this room.

Haagen-Dazs smiled. SMILED. The most uptight person ever smiled. Not the Fang smile, where you know that he's, like, really happy. This smile was more like an, 'oh crap we're all gonna die at the hands of this serial killer who's smiling evilly at us' kind of smile.

"I'm glad you asked, Ms. Ride," he answered. Really? Does he have to call me Ms. Ride? He could at least call me Maximum, if not Max! "You vill depart at eight o'clock tonight. You vill stay in an Orlando hotel room, vich has been booked. You must bring vith you anything you might need for a few days in Orlando. It is a big place, after all, and you are allowed to have some fun. So pack some clothes and anything else and put it in a suitcase," he instructed us.

Everyone just stared at him. Well, except for Iggy. He stared in his, ah, general direction. The first one to speak was Angel.

"You do realize that we can't fly with suitcases, right?" she asked in disbelief. He couldn't possibly have thought that we could fly with suitcases- could he?

He gave an even creepier smile. "That's the thing. You vill be flying, but not in the sense that you might think," he paused. Realization suddenly dawned on my face, and Haagen-Dazs confirmed my worst fears.

"You vill be flying to Orlando via airplane," he said.

Oh no. Oh no. I prayed to every religious figure that I could think of.

_Dear all of you guys up there. If you actually exist, PLEASE get me out of this situation! PLEASE! _I screamed in my head.

Angel frowned. "Max, please, I understand that you are extremely claustrophobic, but could you please think more quietly? I can't hear myself think!" she complained.

Angel was dead-on. I am the most claustrophobic person in the universe. It comes with living in a cage for the first fourteen years of your life. Once you're out, you cannot possibly stand the thought of going back to a place like that. So, an airplane? That would be my own personal nightmare.

**()()()()()()()()()()****LINE BREAK****()()()()()()()()()()**

**Fang POV**

"I'm not going," stated Max.

"Yes, you are!" I refuted.

"I'm not"

"You are!"

"Not!"

"Are!"

"GUYS! Cut it out!" yelled Iggy. We had packed our things and were now at the airport. We didn't have to go through security because we had government clearance, and we were now about to board the jet plane. I completely understood Max's aversion to airplanes. But honestly, we really just needed to get it over with! The flight was only 3 hours long!

Max started mumbling. "Stupid... no fun... airplanes... small spaces... cookies... scared..." I only caught a few words she said. What was that about cookies? Well, this is Max we're talking about.

"Max, do it for the children! Save the starving kids in Africa! Bring world peace!" preached Nudge.

"Me getting on a plane will not end world hunger and it won't bring world peace," muttered Max.

"It will bring us peace. Peace of mind," said Iggy. This argument was getting out of hand.

I opened my mouth. "Max, you are getting on the plane and that's final!" Whoa, when did I start talking like somebody's mom? Yikes.

I grabbed her arm and started dragging her onto the plane. Iggy and Nudge joined in and we forced her down the ramp and into her (first-class! yay!) seat. I sat down next to her.

"See, it's not so bad, now is it?" I asked.

She started shaking in her seat. "Flying death trap..."

I groaned. "It is perfectly safe! Trust me," I told her. She closed her eyes in submission. Ha! Score one for Fang!

In the meantime, this would be a very long flight.

**!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!~TIME SKIPPITY SKIP!~!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!**

"Your flight is now arriving in Orlando, Florida. It is currently 9:00 PM Eastern time. The weather is clear, with a visibility of 2 miles. It is currently 77 degrees Fahrenheit," said the pilot over the intercom. **[A/N: I have been on way too many airplanes, because I actually remember what they say when you land.] **"We will now be preparing to land. Please put your tray tables in the upright, locked position. Make sure that your seats are upright. Enjoy your stay in Orlando!" The seatbelt light flashed on and everybody started to follow the instructions. Flight attendants walked around telling people to hurry up.

In about fifteen minutes, the plane was on the ground. I heard Max breathe a huge sigh of relief after the plane touched down. I looked out the window (I had the window seat! Yes!) and saw that even in the dark, Florida was beautiful. Lights twinkled at all the amusement parks and hotels. I saw fireworks over Epcot. When our row was told to get up, Max and I scooted out of the row quickly and grabbed our suitcases from overhead. We got off the plane as soon as we could. Max was breathing heavily.

"Oh, thank God we are off that flying death trap," she sighed in relief.

I smirked. "See, Max? You are just fine," I taunted. She glared at me. One by one, the rest of the flock (plus Dylan) got off the plane. Most of them appeared tired. Dylan was green.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" he warned us, as he rushed off to the restrooms. Ew. Nudge wrinkled her nose in disgust. We waited for a few minutes until Dylan came back. He was much less green.

"Better," he mumbled, embarrassed. Max snickered. Iggy suppressed a laugh. Nudge stifled a giggle. A hint of a smile twitched on my lips. This was comedy gold!

Our troupe of misfits made our way to the light-rail that took us to the baggage claim and exits. We didn't need to get any checked bags, so we walked out into the humid air. It was nice and warm. I loved it! We saw a driver holding a sign with the words, 'Max Ride' printed on it. We headed over to it and got into the van with the hotel insignia printed on the side and the words, 'Airport to hotel shuttle, available by reservation or first come, first serve.' Nice! The driver pulled through the six lanes of slowly moving cars, all trying to find their passengers. We managed to get out fairly quickly, and got to our hotel in no time. We checked into our hotel room, which had three queen beds and a couch bed. There was a kitchen and dining table. Very classy. We had to figure out the best way to divide four beds by seven people.

Max took charge. "Alright, who needs their own bed? We can only have one, unless you want to sleep on the floor," she said. Everyone turned to Gazzy.

"You can have the bed!" Immediately, the flock came to a decision. Nobody wanted to share with the Gasman- he was named that for a reason, you know.

"Well, ok then. Now let's see, we'll put Nudge and Angel, Dylan and Iggy, and that leaves me and- oh," she trailed off. "Well, I guess we did live together for ten years. It's only a couple of nights," she said uncomfortably.

"I guess..." I agreed.

Nudge sighed. "You two are so cute!" she exclaimed, and then promptly rushed off into the bedroom to go to bed. There was an awkward silence.

Then Iggy said, "I second that emotion!" and promptly ran into a wall.

"This way," said Angel sleepily. She led him into the room with two beds. He grumbled something about finding the way by himself. Yeah, right.

"Hey, can someone help me figure out this couch bed thing?" yelled Gazzy from the living room area. Pillows were all over the floor, and Gazzy looked extremely confused.

Dylan laughed and walked over. "Here," he said. "Like this." He demonstrated the proper way of opening a couch bed. Gazzy smiled and ran to the closet in search of blankets.

Max turned to me. "Well, come on then! Let's go to sleep already!" she exclaimed. She grabbed our suitcases and opened the French doors into the master bedroom. "Whoa," she breathed.

"What?" I asked. Then I walked in.

The bed was bigger than we originally had assumed. It was king-sized, a beautiful four-poster bed with a canopy. There was a huge flatscreen TV on one wall and an adjoining bathroom to the side. It had a large set of cabinets and a big comfy chair.

I sat down in it, sighing in relaxation. I could sleep in this chair! Well, I might get a neck ache. Better just sleep in the bed, I guess.

I went into the bathroom and changed clothes. Then Max did the same. I crawled into bed and turned off the lamp.

"Night, Max," I mumbled, half asleep already.

"Night, Fang," she replied. I closed my eyes and drifted off into a dream.

**Haha, sorry Max and Fang! I just love putting people into extremely awkward situations.**

**Fang: That's cruel.**

**Max (me): That's what I'm here for!**

**Max (Ride): Hey! You stole my name!**

**Max (me): HEY! I didn't tell you that you could come be in my author's note!**

**Fang: You didn't say that she couldn't...**

**Max (both): STAY OUT OF IT!**

**Fang: *hides***

**Well, that's all for this installment: Orlando, part 1! Can you guess who the bird-kid might be? Review and if you're right, cookies for you!**


	8. Cookies & Butterbeer! (Orlando part 2)

**Hello everybody! We're back!**

**Max: I'd like to thank all our wonderful readers, especially the reviewers: Duskingdawn and Horsegirl2509! You guys rock!**

**Angel: I'm just going to say the disclaimer since Max is still mad about last time-**

**Max: Darn right I am!**

**Angel: Yeah. Well we don't own Maximum Ride. Sorry. I know that you're all disappointed that we aren't JP.**

**Max: I know I am.**

**Angel: On with the story!**

**MAX POV**

I woke up feeling very warm. Something was next to me. Groggily, I snuggled into the warmth. Then I opened my eyes, to see a wall of black pajamas. I jumped back and shrieked.

Fang woke up with a start. "What's happening? Erasers?" Suddenly, the memories all rushed back to me in a torrent.

I blushed bright red. "Sorry, I was just a bit startled, that's all," I mumbled in embarrassment.

He relaxed. "Well, I might as well get up then," he muttered. He grabbed some clothes out of the suitcase and went to change in the bathroom.

I pulled out some cutoff jean shorts and a racerback tank top. I put them on quickly and walked out into the living room/kitchen/dining room. Gazzy was snoring like a pig. Ew.

I peeked into the large bedroom. Everybody was out like a light. I tiptoed back into the kitchen and looked in the fridge. Empty. My stomach gurgled in hunger.

I groaned and went back to the bedroom. "Fang, I'm hungry," I complained.

He shrugged. "Buffet downstairs," he suggested. Of course! Why hadn't I thought about that?

"Fang, you're a genius!" I exclaimed. "Back in a few!" I grabbed a room key and dashed out the door. I decided to bring back food for everybody, if I could carry it all, that is.

The buffet had some styrofoam takeout containers. I grabbed seven. I started to fill them with a crapload of food. Eggs, bacon, waffles and bagels. Whatever I could get my hands on. Some jam, and sausage. Lastly, I grabbed seven small cartons of orange juice. Maybe enough food to feed a small army, but not enough for my flock, I'm sure. I got some funny looks from people in the buffet. Whatever. I headed back up the 27 floors (in the elevator, of course. Did you really think that I would take the stairs? You overestimate me, dear readers). I slid the room key through the electronic lock and opened the door.

I heard pure silence. That means that only Fang was awake at the moment. I sighed in relief. If we're all being truthful here, I really just wanted some alone time with Fang. I had some sort of indescribable feelings for him.

"Fang, I'm back," I whisper-yelled. He walked out of the French doors and grabbed a few of the seven large boxes I was precariously balancing. I smiled in thanks. "Take your pick," I said, motioning to the boxes of warm food. He grabbed one off the top, not bothering to look inside. I did the same.

Inside was bacon, pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage. Mmm. We ate in silence, attempting to remain quiet for Gazzy, who was in the room sleeping on the couch.

One by one, the flock woke up and got dressed. Nudge was chattering to Angel about all the pictures she could take on her new iPhone. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Haagen-Dazs gave us all iPhones. Mine had a red case. Meanwhile, Gazzy and Iggy were intently discussing the proper way to build a bomb using a potato. Is that even possible?

I managed to get everybody out of the house and safely into Universal Studios, and let me tell you, the place was a ZOO! It was packed full of parents, kids, teenagers, families, you name it, they were there. I thought for a moment.

"Alright. This place is too big for us to search through by ourselves. Let's split up: Angel with Nudge, Gazzy with Iggy, and me, Fang and Dylan will each go separately. Split up, don't get lost, and meet us back at the entrance at 6:00. Got it? Make sure your phones are turned on, capiche?" I asked.

"Capiche!" they all shouted, earning us some sideways glances from families. We split up. I remembered one thing. "Remember, guys. Have fun! Go on rides! Just keep your eyes out for potential bird-kids and Erasers, got it?" They all nodded in agreement, then dashed off.

I took a left at the big 'Islands of Adventure' loop. The first so-called 'Island' was the Marvel Superhero island. I looked up at the massive rollercoaster above me. There were at least three loops! Immediately, the thrill seeker in me made me want to get on it. I got into line, scanning the crowd for any mutants. Nope, not that I can tell.

When the time came for me to get on, I started to freak a little, but I didn't back down. Nobody and nothing is too scary for Maximum Ride! I got on, and the ride started to move slowly up a hill. Wow, this is a wimpy rollercoaster. Suddenly, the ride shot forward and sirens blared to add effect. Now, that's what I'm talking about!

"YEAH!" I screamed into the wind.

**NUDGE POV**

Oh-em-gee! I cannot believe that I get to go on rides and buy presents and do a bunch of awesome stuff! This is going to be awesome! I stopped into the gift shop first. Ooh, I could buy everybody Christmas presents! Fun!

Hmm, what should I get Angel? I can't get her anything when she's here with me... Hey, look! There's a candy shop! Perfect!

I walked in and my eyes widened. This was the most candy I had ever seen in my entire _life! _What could I do with all this candy? I could, like, take over the universe! First I stopped at the chocolate section. Something spotted my eye. Ooh, this is perfect for Max!

**GAZZY POV**

"Well, where should we go?" It was a simple question, really, but there was no perfect answer. I scanned the skies, looking for the perfect thrill ride. Suddenly, I remembered a sign I saw earlier for a ride that played music. Iggy would love it! I dragged him over to the line for the roller coaster. We got into the ride and I picked a song for Iggy and I. Some classic rock song that I thought was a little familiar.

The ride started to climb a huge hill that went straight up and down. Suddenly, we reached the top and went hurtling down, then through a huge loop. I stuck my hands up and cheered over the screams of everybody else. "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" I shouted.

**FANG POV**

I wandered through the park aimlessly, and ended up in Harry Potter Land. I looked around. The first ride I saw was a virtual-reality ride that went through a castle. That looked fun! I got to go through the line quickly because I was riding by myself. There were these seats that went by four at a time. I got stuck on the end of some rich family of three. The little girl was decked out in the wizard robes and a Universal Orlando t-shirt. Those things cost, like, a fortune!

The ride was pretty sweet, I must admit. It was like flying, but in a completely different sense than I was used to. At the end, the entire 'Hogwarts' class all cheered for us because we saved the school or something like that. I didn't really understand the whole concept of it, because I had never actually seen the movies. Or read the books, for that matter.

When I exited the ride, I wanted to ride something else. So, I decided to ride something larger and more exciting. I looked up.

There, right above me, was the most colossal roller coaster I had ever seen.

Oh, I am SO riding this!

**ANGEL POV**

I followed Nudge obediently into the candy shop. Suddenly, I saw the most Max-like thing in the entire freaking universe! Right in front of me was a chocolate-chip cookie that was the size of your average car wheel. Oh my cookies, (no pun intended) this was perfect!

"Nudge, we must buy this for Max. We must!" I declared.

Nudge turned to see what I was looking at and her jaw dropped. "Holy cookies! That is the biggest cookie that I've EVER seen! Oh-em-gee, we must buy this. I wonder how much it is? Where is the price tag? Excuse me, Mrs. Store Lady, how much is this cookie?"

The shop worker turned to us. "The jumbo cookie is $14.99, sweeties," she said condescendingly. I would totally have yelled at her for it, but right now my mind was focused on the cookie.

"We'll buy it!" I said. The lady frowned.

"Are you sure? That's a lot of sugar for a little kid," she informed us. As if we didn't know. "How about a nice lollipop instead?"

I sighed. I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way. I turned on my epic Bambi eyes. "Miss, we'd really like this cookie," I said sweetly.

The lady's eyes started to get the faraway look that meant my powers were working. "You will have this cookie," she said robotically. I smiled. Works like a charm.

We paid for the cookie and left the store, snickering. Nudge started to rant. "Wow, Ange! That rocked! You were totally, like, mind-control on that lady! Serves her right for treating you like a kid. But wait, I thought the feds said that you hadn't developed that power yet..." she trailed off.

I smirked. "Oh, Nudge. Haven't you learned? What they don't know can't hurt them!"

**IGGY POV**

After riding about twenty rides, I still wasn't tired. We hadn't seen, or in my case, heard, any signs of a new bird-kid. "What time is it, Gazzy?" I asked.

I heard him reach into his pocket for his cell phone. "3:30 PM," he replied tiredly.

"You tired?" I asked.

He sighed. "Is it that obvious? I think all these rides have worn me out. I'm hungry, too," he replied. Yeah, I could definitely tell that he was exhausted. Suddenly, I got an idea.

"Gazzy, I know what will cheer you up..." I said evilly.

"What?" he asked, intrigued.

I smirked at the prospect. "The most dangerous thing known to mankind," I whispered, as if letting him in on a secret.

"What? Antimatter? C-4? Think, Gazzy! Dangerous... Ooh, I know what's dangerous! Justine Beaver!" he said proudly. He then went into an excruciatingly painful rendition of 'Baby'.

"No, no, and nice guess but no," I answered, laughing at the 'Justine Beaver' comment.

He sighed. "I give up! What is it?"

I grinned. "Giant Pixy Stix, of course!" Cue the evil cackling. Oh, boy. First the Pixy Stix. Then what? Maybe I would feed him some tacos... who needs nuclear weapons? I have Gazzy!

**MAX POV**

I stepped off of the Hulk Roller Coaster, for the 43rd time. That's right. I rode that roller coaster 43 TIMES! And I love it every time!

The ride workers gave me some funny looks...

I decided that we should meet up earlier than planned, if the others would agree to it. I pulled out my red iPhone to text Fang, but suddenly a call came in from him right when I was going to start typing.

"Hey, Fang. I was just going to text you. What's up?" I asked.

"Max, you aren't going to believe this," he replied urgently. He talked some more and my eyes widened. No. Freaking. Way. Was he even serious?

**FANG POV (ten minutes before Max POV above)**

I hopped off the huge roller coaster. It was amazing! Who knew that I could have this much fun! Suddenly, I noticed a dry feeling in my throat. I needed something to drink.

I looked around. Everybody was drinking this Harry-Potter-themed concoction called Butterbeer. I walked over to the cart to buy some. This was nonalcoholic, right? I looked around. There were little kids drinking it, so I figured it was safe for me. I paid the cashier without looking up.

"Your change will be 37 cents. Here's your receipt!" said an all-too-familiar voice. I looked up in awe.

"Max? What are you doing running the Butterbeer stand?" I asked incredulously.

Max looked utterly confused. "Who is this Max you speak of? I don't know any Maxes. My name is Maya, see?" She pointed to her nametag on her uniform.

"Maya? You mean you're not Max, my best friend who's completely and utterly identical to you?" Wow, this was the most words that I've ever spoken at one time.

Maya shrugged. "Nope. I have no idea what you're talking about. Bye now!" she said nervously. She shoved me away, as if I was a threat. Dang, she was strong! Stronger than the normal human... wait a second.

I put two and two together and got... Maya. So this is who we were looking for, I bet. I needed Max, now.

I whipped out my black iPhone and called Max. She picked up right away.

"Hey, Fang. I was just going to text you. What's up?" she asked.

"Max, you aren't going to believe this. I think I've found the bird-kid. But the weird part isn't that. It's the fact that she's like, a clone of you! I seriously thought she was you, but she said that her name is Maya. When I started asking questions, she freaked and shoved me away. She was waaaay stronger than a human. She's got to be the one!" I ranted, talking more than Nudge. **[A/N: I know, OOC! Don't sue me!]**

There was silence at the other end of the line, then Max finally spoke. "The Emotionless Brick Wall, Mr. Ten-Words-A-Day, speaks! It's incredible! I never thought I'd live to see the day... I digress. Anyways, I will be there in a minute. Where are you?"

"I'm in the Harry Potter land, near the Butterbeer stand," I replied hurriedly. "Hurry!"

"I'm on my way!" promised Max. Suddenly, I took a better look around. I noticed something that was really wrong. Something that shouldn't be there.

Before Max hung up, I quickly added one last crucial detail.

"Max, you might want to move faster and get the Flock. I'm surrounded by Erasers!"

**DUN DUN DUN! I am so terribly sorry for the mostly filler chapter. I will make it up in the next chapter, we promises, yes we does precious!**

**Angel: Oh great, she's on her Lord Of The Rings thing again...**

**Max: MY PRECIOUSSSS!**

**Angel: *facepalm***

**Max: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them...**

**Angel: *headdesk* So, anyways, review and we'll update soon! Bye!**

**Max: ONE RING TO BRING THEM AND IN THE DARKNESS BIND THEM! IN THE LAND OF MORDOR WHERE THE SHADOWS LIE!**

**Angel: *banging head on wall***

**Max: We wants some reviewses, yessss preciousss!**

**~MaximumAngel1**


	9. Guns & Horses (Orlando part 3)

**Hello! We're back! Thank you Duskingdawn for being an awesome reviewer!**

**Max: TCITW!**

**Angel: What?**

**Max: I said, Thank Cookies it's the weekend! Because we can post more stuff!**

**Angel: Agreed. Since Max refuses to disclaim anything-**

**Max: I REFUSE!**

**Angel: I will disclaim it for her. We don't own Maximum Ride, Harry Potter, Universal Studios, or anything else we happen to mention.**

**Max: *sigh* I hate disclaiming things... so I'll claim our plot! IT'S OURS!**

**Angel: Moving on now...**

**MAX POV**

"Max, you might want to move faster and get the flock. I'm surrounded by Erasers!" Fang shouted into the phone. My eyes widened.

"I'm on it! Hold them off as much as possible. Get Maya to help you!" I ordered urgently, and hung up. I broke into a run, and quickly dialed Nudge, who was on speed-dial.

"Hi Max! What's up? Are you having fun? I know I am! What are you doing-" started Nudge, but I cut her off quickly.

"Nudge, get your butt over to the Harry Potter place, ASAP. Call Gaz and Ig, and Dylweed. 'Kay? We've got Erasers on our hands. And we found the avian. I'll explain later! Bye!" I hung up and reached the extremely crowded Harry Potter World. I took a look around, and sure enough, I spotted Fang by a cart that said 'Butterbeer'.

I made my way through the crowd, scanning for Erasers. Sure enough, they were moving in on Fang, but they hadn't morphed into wolves yet. I reached the cart and stopped dead in my tracks.

Standing there, gaping at me, was _me_!

Fang walked up. "Max, this is Maya. Maya, meet Max. Maya, I assume that you have wings?" he asked calmly, with not a hint of expression.

"Y-yeah. How did you know? Who are you?" stuttered 'Maya'.

"Well, let's see. We were sent here to rescue a human-avian hybrid like us. I happen to see someone who's a doppelganger of my best friend, who also happens to be a human-avian. Then, Erasers start moving in on us. Coincidence? I think not!" he explained. Suddenly, I heard a snarl.

I whirled around and got in a fighting stance. Three Erasers started to morph, only a few yards away. Tourists screamed. One kid yelled, "Hey! Look! It's Remus Lupin!" Who the heck is Remus Lupin?

I quietly gave commands to Maya and Fang. "We need to fight them off. It's too crowded here to fly away, and much too conspicuous. The flock will meet us here soon, and we can get out of this place. Capiche?"

"Capiche!" replied Fang. Maya quickly added in her agreement, obviously not used to the way I run things. The first Eraser lunged at me, the closest target. I sidestepped and he crashed into the cart, spilling Butterbeer everywhere. I delivered a roundhouse kick to his jaw, and he was knocked back, unconscious. Fang had already taken down Eraser #2, and Maya was making quick work of the third. The Erasers were strong, but clumsy. A second wave of six more were on their way, however.

"Injuries, anyone?" I asked. They shook their heads. "Good," I said. "Let's do this!"

The Erasers charged all at once. I used my speed to my advantage, diving between two of them. Their momentum carried them forward and I punched one in the head and then the other. Good, they were knocked out. Fang was dealing with another Eraser, and one was out cold. Maya looked like she was in trouble, though. She was backed up against the wall of one of the fake shops and was desperately trying to take them down, to no avail. I sneaked up behind the Erasers and simultaneously pressure pointed them.

"Nighty night!" I said sweetly as they dropped to the ground. Maya breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh my god, thank you!" she exclaimed. I shrugged it off.

"No problem. The flock should be getting here right about-" I was cut off by a squeal.

Nudge raced onto the scene, already blabbing. "Oh my cookies, no way! You're like a Max clone or something! Wow! Cool! Can you fight? What's your name? Are you like us?"

Maya laughed nervously. "I'm Maya, and I can fly. I'm an ok fighter, I guess," she answered.

Nudge grinned. "Cool! Now I have a new BFF! I'm Nudge! This here is Angel! Are you coming home with us? You better! We have orders from Dr. GH! That's Gunther-Hagen, FYI. He runs this place where we live called the Haven-" I smacked my hand over Nudge's mouth.

"Now is not the time! Erasers, ten o'clock!" I shouted. Everybody immediately assumed a fighting stance. There were even more Erasers, eight of them now. But there were five of us. I think this was a more than fair fight.

They went down easily. I got three, Fang got two, Nudge and Maya each got one, and Angel played her mind games with the last one. He was currently prancing around like a fool, shouting that he was Remus Lupin. I guess Angel had read Harry Potter.

"Nice one, Angel!" said Nudge. Maya was gaping in astonishment.

I laughed. "Maya, shut your mouth. You'll catch flies. And before you ask, yes, Angel can control minds, to some extent. Don't tell the feds, what they don't know can't hurt them," I laughed. Maya immediately closed her mouth and blushed in embarrassment.

"Max, there are ten Erasers heading this way," warned Fang. Ten would be easy enough to handle, but I saw even more coming behind them. I prayed that the rest of the flock would make it here soon.

Our fight was like a choreographed dance. Angel was occupying one Eraser, Nudge and Maya were holding their ground and taking Erasers down. Fang and I were methodically working through the Erasers, as if on autopilot. I would knock back one, Fang would knock him unconscious. Simple, and it worked like a charm. We went back and forth, making quick work of the Erasers in less than two minutes. Nudge, Angel and Maya were all staring at us when we finished.

"What?" I snapped, a bit self-consciously. Why was everybody staring at me and Fang?

Nudge explained. "You guys just took down EIGHT Erasers!" she shouted.

Oh. That explains it.

Angel frowned and closed her eyes. "Guys, we've got about thirty Erasers headed our way," she warned. Thirty? That would be almost impossible, even if the rest of the Flock showed up. As if on cue, Dylan raced onto the scene.

"What'd I miss?" he asked breathlessly.

"Oh, you know, just a bit of fighting," I gestured to the unconscious Erasers lying at our feet. Dylan looked embarrassed.

"Oh. Right," he mumbled. Then I was bombarded by a high speed object.

Eraser? No. Cops? No. It was...

A very sugar high Gazzy! WHO GAVE HIM SUGAR?

Iggy followed him, out of breath from trying to run so fast without crashing into people. Gazzy+Sugar=Supersonic speed. "Um, so, what's up?" he asked us, trying to take the attention away from the very obvious fact that he gave Gazzy sugar.

I gave him my infamous death glare. "Iggy, I'm giving you the death glare. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU GIVE GAZZY _SUGAR?!_" I yelled.

Iggy shrank back. "Because he was, um, tired?" he squeaked.

I facepalmed. "Honestly, Iggy, I thought you knew better than that. Oh well, I guess we're going to have to deal with it. Let's get out of here before the Erasers show up," I ordered. The flock (plus Dylan and Maya) immediately started to walk away as quickly as possible. Well, most of us were walking. Gazzy was bouncing.

"Hehehehehehe..." he giggled. Oh no. This just isn't good.

We made it through the Mythology-World and Dr. Seuss. Then there was the restaurant area, and sweet freedom! But of course it doesn't come that easily. Nothing ever does.

There, right in front of us, was a huge mob of approximately thirty-five fully morphed Erasers.

Oh, crap is an understatement. 30 vs. 8 is not a fair fight. But The School doesn't play fair.

Who am I kidding? Neither do we!

I took control. "Angel, do your mind control thingy. Iggy, Gazzy, make something explode. Maya, Nudge, Dylan, fight like heck. Fang, work with me like before. That was pretty epic, if I do say so myself. Capiche?"

Everyone, including Maya, yelled "CAPICHE!" as loud as possible. In a split second, the Erasers charged on us. I heard music playing over the speaker system, like a soundtrack to our battle scene. **[A/N: Guns & Horses by Ellie Goulding. It will show up again in a later chapter :)]**

Three Erasers charged on me and Fang. I sidestepped, and Fang snapped a quick punch at the clumsy wolf-boy. He fell to the ground. I took on two at once, using the momentum of one to knock into the other. They collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. A quick kick to each of them knocked them unconscious. I whirled to face another Eraser, poised to strike, when suddenly he fell to the ground.

_You're so quiet, but it doesn't faze me_

My hearing picked up this line of the music. So true. Why? Well, Fang had snuck up on the Eraser (and me) and pressure pointed him without a sound. I threw myself back into the thick of the Erasers' crowd. I went into autopilot, mowing down more Erasers than I could count.

Just when I thought that I was surrounded, Fang burst into action, moving quicker than lightning.

_You're on time. You move so fast, makes me feel lazy_

Who was this singer chick? She seemed to have a perfect line for everything!

_Let's join forces. We've got our guns and horses_

I immediately moved next to Fang, taking down all the Erasers within a ten foot radius. More and more Erasers, however, were showing up every minute. Angel was doing her creepy mind control on about six Erasers. She was making them fight amongst themselves. Creepy.

Nudge, Maya and Dylan were holding their own, but looked tired. Wait a second. Where were Gazzy and Ig-

_**BOOM!**_

A huge explosion blasted into the center of the horde of Erasers. It's radius narrowly missed Fang and I. My ears started to ring a bit from the sound. The blast, however, took out about twenty Erasers and injured around ten more.

"U&A!" I yelled, snapping out my wings and jumping into the air. The pyros had cleared a perfect area to take off from. Fang immediately followed, along with the rest of the flock. I did a quick headcount. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7. Where's Angel?

I heard a shriek from below me. "Help!" cried Angel. She was backed into a corner, with nowhere to run. I dived down.

"Angel! I'm coming!" I yelled. I hurtled towards Angel and started to pull up right as I grabbed her hand. I beat my wings furiously, trying to regain altitude from the swift dive, when I clipped my wing on a lamppost. I heard a sickening crunch and looked at my wing. The end of it was bent at a very unnatural angle. I started to tip to one side.

"Angel! Let go and fly!" I yelled, struggling to keep aloft. She did as I told her to, flapping furiously. Once she was completely airborne, I assessed the damage of my painfully throbbing wing. It definitely shouldn't be bent that way.

I was losing altitude fast and started to spin. "HELP!" I cried. Please help me! I don't want to die!

**FANG POV**

I saw Max dive down quickly in response to Angel's cries. She plucked her right out of the corner and started to gain altitude. Oh no, there was a- crap.

There was a lamppost in her way. Max's wing hit the metal post and bent at a sickening angle, definitely broken. She beat her wings as hard as she could while attempting to support Angel's weight. She shouted something unintelligible to Angel, who understood. She let go and Angel flew up quickly.

Suddenly, Max started tilting and falling. "HELP!" she screamed. Oh no! Not Max!

I needed to save her. I dived down as fast as I could, hoping that I could reach Max before we both hit the ground. Her arms were flailing around as she fell.

"MAX! GRAB MY HAND!" I yelled. I grabbed one of her arms and she hung on for dear life. She yelped at the sudden force pulling on her arm.

Wow, she was heavy! I tried my best to carry her, but thankfully Nudge swooped down to help me carry her. With the two of us working together, Max was a manageable load.

"Thank- you- so- much!" gasped Max, struggling for breath.

Nudge started rambling. "Max! Oh my gosh! I thought you were going to die! Fang is awesome! He was all superhero-like, saving the day! You two are so cute! I am totes going to plan your wedding!" she shouted in happiness.

Max smiled weakly. "Thank you, Fang. Thank you so much," she said.

I smiled back. "I would never let you fall," I replied truthfully.

**TiMe SkIp! At ThE aIrPoRt!**

**MAX POV (because I like to write in it more than Fang. It's easier, in my opinion)**

There was a surprise waiting for us at the airport. No, not Erasers. It was a good surprise! Ella, Dr. M, Jeb and Dr. Abate were waiting for us!

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Nudge. "I thought that nobody else came on the missions. Are you here for Max's wing? How did you get here so fast?"

Dr. M smiled. "We came here because we heard that you found our new avian. Which you did. We came here on a private jet that flies faster than a normal airplane. And what's this about Max's wing?"

I grimaced. "It's broken," I said matter-of-factly. Dr. M and Ella gasped.

"We need to get you home! Follow Dr. Abate to the plane," ordered Dr. Martinez. Gazzy and Angel rushed up to Dr. Abate.

"Dad! You won't believe what happened!" exclaimed Angel. They took turns retelling the story, conveniently leaving out the mind-control part. I had warned them not to mention it to the government. They might take Angel away if they knew.

Nudge was excitedly talking to Ella, and Maya was introducing herself to Jeb and Dr. M. Iggy was attempting to explain how they had made their bomb to Dylan. Dylan just looked confused.

I turned to Fang, who was walking silently next to me. "Thank you for everything," I said, pulling him into a hug. He looked startled at it, but then he relaxed.

"You're welcome," he replied. "I love you."

**Aww, Fax! Do you like the ending? I hope so! :)**

**Angel: You are obsessed with Fax.**

**Max: No duh! Why else would I make that epic ending?**

**Angel: *facepalm* Right. Of course. 'Epic'. *sarcasm!***

**Max: Review or Angel will unleash her army of Purple Potato People on you!**

**~MaximumAngel1**


	10. Ari the Devil

**Bonjour, mes amis! (Hello, my friends!)**

**We're back with chapter 10! So, we've decided to reply to you guys:**

**Duskingdawn: Thanks for all the reviews! You rock!**

**Arya: I use my spell check, and I looked over the last chapter. I didn't notice any spelling mistakes, so I don't understand why you think I need to work on my spelling. I'll pay extra good attention to spelling from now on!**

**Horsegirl2509/Duskingdawn: Maya isn't going to interrupt the Fax. Something else might... but it won't last, trust me! It won't even last a whole chapter.**

**BluntTruth: There's an explanation for the long wait at the bottom. SORRY!**

**Also, I've planned out the rest of the story. It will be 27 chapters long, and it may or may not have a sequel, depending on how I feel at the end of the story.**

**Thank you to the followers and favorite-ers: PirateElfLuvr, BluntTruth, YeongEunYoon, midnight crescent, Duskingdawn, fangisamazing, GagaBear18, supersexyghotmew95, helikesitheymikey, forever dreamin the impossible. **

**Whew! That's a whole ton! We love you guys!**

**DISCLAIMER:**

**Max: Do we have to do this every. Freaking. Time?**

**Angel: Yes, Max. Yes we do. I'll give you a cookie if you say it...**

**Max: OK! We don't own Maximum Ride! GIVE ME MY COOKIE!**

**Angel: I lied. Sorry.**

**Max: *steam shooting out of ears* Give. Me. My. Cookie.**

**Angel: *hides* Meep.**

**ON WITH THE STORY! MAX POV**

"I love you," said Fang.

Whoa.

I must be hearing things.

I can't help thinking that this is exactly what I wanted. I can't help but cheer on the inside. But I promised myself that I would never fall for someone. Not since Ari.

Ari.

That evil, conniving, Ari. He stole my heart. And then attempted to stop it. Let me explain: When I was fourteen, I escaped the School. That much you know. There were a few months between when I escaped and when I was found by the Haven, and during that time, I was hiding in Los Angeles. Funny, that Los Angeles means the angels. Because I met the living devil there.

Ari was maybe fifteen, and he was charming. He was so sweet, and he took me out on a few dates. I loved him, or so I thought. Then, that fateful night, we went to the Hollywood sign. Suddenly an army of Erasers showed up. Ari turned into one! He was an Eraser, and I was so oblivious that I didn't even know. I narrowly escaped them.

I promised myself that I would never fall for any boy, ever again.

What do I do now? Promise or Fang? Can I get over Ari, or will I keep my old promise?

I have no idea whatsoever. So I did the only thing that I could think of. I walked away, tears in my eyes. I know that I hurt Fang. Would he hurt me? I don't think so. I think that the repercussions would be too much for me. If I became lovesick again, would I be strong for the flock? Would I save the kids like me?

But what about poor Fang? He didn't do anything.

So, I did the only thing that I could possibly do. I just pretended it didn't happen. I went on the plane, sandwiched between Ella and the window. I listened to my iPod, trying to clear my mind. Maybe he didn't really mean it.

Who am I kidding? When Fang talks, he means it.

I sat through the rest of the flight in silence, trying to focus on other things besides Fang and my terrible claustrophobia. The window seat helped, a little. I shut my eyes, and ended up falling asleep.

**~~~~~~~~~~Time Skip!~~~~~~~~~~**

"Max, wake up," said a voice.

I immediately reached out and smacked it on instinct. That's why I break all my alarm clocks. I'm so used to trying to injure things that wake me up. What can I say, I love to sleep!

"OW! MAX! It's me, Ella!" shouted the voice. I wearily blinked my eyes, trying not to let the light hurt them. I saw Ella, rubbing her face.

"Oh. Sorry. That's the standard treatment for my alarm clocks," I explained.

Ella grimaced. "I'm glad I'm not your alarm clock!" she exclaimed. I smiled and got up and rushed out of the small private plane. It was much too small for my liking. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief as I rushed out into **x-NAME REMOVED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY-x **Airport. I wasn't the first one off the plane, because of my little nap. Everyone else was already off the plane. But somebody was missing.

Immediately turning into my usual sarcastic self, I asked, "Where's Dylweed?"

Everybody immediately answered me. "Bathroom," oh that explained it. He was sick again. Sucks for him, I thought sarcastically. Yup, even my thoughts are full of wonderful sarcasm.

The car ride home was uneventful, and by the time we got back, it was dusk. Everybody headed back to our house for celebration cake.

We raised our cups of Hawaiian Punch and 7-Up. "Cheers to finding Maya!"

Maya smiled and thanked us. She was definitely not me, she seemed pretty, well, normal. I was anything but normal. Maya had become fast friends with all the girls, and by the sound of it, she was going to live with us. Ours was the largest house on the street, and Dr. Martinez seemed to have no problem with yet another kid. Hooray, more girly-girls in the house. More people to duct tape me to a chair and force me to wear makeup (Nudge and Ella's favorite pastime. They were only successful 25% of the time, and usually ended up being the ones duct taped together. I was older and stronger than Nudge, and a human isn't much help in a fight against a bird-kid).

I ate my slice of cake in silence and headed up to my room. I turned the radio on and drifted off to the sound of the music. I was once again rudely awoken by Nudge.

"MAX!" Then I heard a big thump. I immediately opened my eyes, but nothing was out of place, except for Nudge being in my room, uninvited.

"What was that thump?" I asked. Nudge laughed.

"That was me jumping back before you could smack me!" she exclaimed. I laughed with her. Silly Nudge. "Everybody's leaving now. Come say goodbye to Angel, Gazzy, Iggy and Fang!" Shoot. Why did she have to mention Fang? The memories came flooding back to me. Should I share this with anybody? I pondered this question.

Nudge seemed like someone who could give me advice. She's read all those teen magazines, maybe she would know something that could help me.

"Nudge, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked wearily. She smiled.

"Of course!" she said happily. Ah, Nudge, the one person on this planet who was perpetually happy.

I let everything out in a big rush. "Oh my gosh, Nudge, I don't have the slightest clue what to do because Fang said he loves me and I think I do too but I promised myself that I wouldn't fall for anyone ever again, not since Ari. What do I do?" Suddenly, I felt that a huge weight had been lifted off my chest, a huge burden off my shoulders.

Nudge was puzzled. "Ari?" she asked. Oh, right, I hadn't told anyone about Ari. I explained what he had done. She gasped.

"Oh my gosh, you didn't tell us about that evil liar!" she exclaimed.

I frowned. "That's because I didn't want anybody to know. Nobody has known, until now. I didn't want you to bother with my past. But the secret's out, I guess. I still have the scars from that fight."

Nudge gasped again. "Wow, that must have been some fight! Almost as bad as breaking your wing today!" she mused. My wing had been splinted and was healing. It should be good to fly in a few days, if I keep the splint on.

I showed her the claw mark shaped scars that dragged across my stomach. Those came from the devil himself. Nudge just shook her head.

"Well, you know what I think?" she asked.

"What?"

"I think that the only scars that Ari leaves behind should be the ones on your stomach. You can't help those. But you can't let a thing of the past affect you now. You said it yourself, you love Fang. I say, go for it. You two are perfect for each other! I will be off now, to plan your wedding. Do you prefer outside or indoors?" she asked, as usual. She was obsessed with the idea of us getting married, or anybody that she thought 'were perfect for each other'.

I laughed. "Thanks, Nudge. You're right," I said gratefully. **[A/N: You didn't think I was actually going to break up Fax, did you? Come on, I'm not an idiot! I love Fax just as much as you do, maybe more] **She smiled, satisfied, and left.

I'll talk to him tomorrow, I thought. Yes, tomorrow.

For the third time today, I drifted off into sleep.

**~Oh, don't mind me. I'm just a little line break!~**

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _The dreaded alarm clock goes off, waking me from my peaceful sleep. I smacked it and it sputtered into silence with a _crack, _meaning that it was broken. Yet again.

I assessed the damage. Nothing else was broken this time, thankfully. Just the clock, which was now crushed like a piece of tinfoil. Wires were sticking out in various directions. I unplugged it so that nobody got an electric shock.

"MOM!" I yelled.

"YOU BROKE YOUR CLOCK?" she yelled back.

"YEAH! WILL YOU GET ME A NEW ONE?"

"FINE! BE MORE CAREFUL WITH YOUR CLOCKS!"

"BUT THEY'RE ANNOYING!"

A new voice broke into our loud conversation. "SHUT UP!" yelled Nudge. She's one to talk. We call her the Nudge Channel: All Nudge, all the time!

I sighed and got dressed. I pulled on some black skinny jeans, a black tee-shirt with red, orange and yellow stars on it, and my red converse. Then I threw on my orange leather jacket and ran down to breakfast.

I was immediately summoned back upstairs by Ella. I tiptoed up cautiously, and walked into Ella's room. Just as I suspected, they had hair supplies out.

"Max, since Maya is strangely identical to you, me and Nudge are going to give you makeovers!" explained Ella happily. Usually I would bolt at the word 'makeover', but Ella actually made sense this time.

"Fine," I muttered. I sat down on Ella's vanity stool and Maya, who was sitting on the bed, moved to a kitchen chair that had been taken upstairs.

Nudge walked over to us with a pair of scissors. "Who wants a haircut?" she asked evilly. To my surprise, Maya volunteered as tribute.

"I will! I really don't like getting my hair in my face while I fly," she explained. That made sense, but I loved my long hair. Ella thought for a moment.

"Ok, I know what to do for Max," she said. "I promise that it's simple. No scissors required!" she told me. I closed my eyes.

"Go for it," I resigned. No point in arguing for this one. Fifteen minutes later, I heard a little timer ding.

"Ok, Max, open your eyes and look at your hair," exclaimed Ella happily. I opened my eyes and gasped.

My hair now had beautiful red streaks in it. They looked professional, and absolutely amazing. "Wow, Ella! I love it!" I told her. She grinned in satisfaction.

"Thank you," she said proudly. I looked at Maya. Her hair was now fairly short, with long bangs that were swept to one side. It looked great on her, and it really created contrast. Nobody would mix us up, that's for sure. Plus there was her girly ensemble, borrowed from Nudge. She had a white lacy tank top on it that had a picture of a flower, and some light wash jeans. She had a pink necklace with wings on it, and pink sandals. It was very Nudge-ish.

"Come on, we're going to miss breakfast!" I shouted, suddenly remembering my hunger. I raced downstairs, where Dr. Martinez had waffles waiting for us.

She smiled. "I love your hair, Max. You too, Maya!" she commented.

"Thanks, Mom. Nudge and Ella did our hair!" I explained.

She redirected the comment to them. "Thanks!" they replied happily as we scarfed down our waffles. We raced out the door, just in time to meet Fang and Iggy.

Fang turned to look at us and his jaw dropped. Wow, what's with all of these random emotions lately? I guess Maya looked awesome. Sigh.

"What are you staring at?" yelled Maya.

Fang immediately went back into his Mr. Emotionless Brick Wall state. "Um, you and Max," he said truthfully.

Maya smirked. "Too bad, you can't have me!" she taunted. Fang shrugged. Suddenly Angel came racing out of her house.

"Eww! Fang!" she shrieked. "Keep your thoughts PG, pleeease! I don't need to know what you're thinking about Max!" she yelled.

Fang looked at his shoes in embarrassment. I turned dark red to match the streaks in my hair. So, that's what he was thinking. He didn't hate me.

Good to know.

**MAYA POV**

Wow, what a day. I'm on the run, working part-time selling Butterbeer to rich tourists, them BAM! These kids show up, kick butt, and now I look, well, hot! Great, now I can impress Dylan.

The adorable little mind-reading girl, Angel, suddenly came running out of the house telling Fang to keep his thoughts about Max PG. Ha! He just got pwned by a 9-year-old! Her brother, the smaller of the two pyros, came running outside too.

"Iggy! Guess what? I perfected my plan for the potato bomb!" he yelled excitedly. Well, I definitely don't want to be around when they decide to test that! That's where the mysterious crater in their backyard came from... Remind me always to run away if they are, too.

Iggy and the kid, what's his name, Gassy? No... Gazzy! Yeah! Iggy and Gazzy were in an intense conversation about the proper way to blow up a potato. O-kay.

We started to walk to their school. It was relatively warm outside, just the average springtime temperatures. It was a nice change from the stifling heat and the crowds of Florida. The Haven School was only a few minute's walk away from our street. Iggy turned in my general direction.

"You'll have to go see the principal, Dr. Gunther-Hagen. He's in there," Iggy pointed a thumb towards a door marked, 'Administration'. Well, that seems logical.

"Call him Haagen-Dazs. He loooooves that!" snickered Max sarcastically. Sounds like a good plan to me. Get rescued, make friends, piss off the principal. Just like a normal school, minus the rescue part. Maybe this will impress Dylan...

"'Kay. See you in class!" I said, making my way towards the door. A lady whose desk sign said, 'Marian Janssen' turned towards me in awe.

"Ms. Ride, you've cut your hair! And you're dressed like Nudge!" she exclaimed.

I smirked. "I'm not Max, Marian. I'm Maya. The new kid."

I could have sworn that she almost facepalmed. "Just what we need. More Maxes running around like they own the place," she sighed. "Dr. Gunther-Hagen is waiting for you in his office," she pointed to a closed door.

I walked in and saw a balding man in his fifties. "Are you Haagen-Dazs?" I asked in a sarcastic tone. Just because I dress like a girl doesn't mean I can't be sarcastic or awesome like Max. She was just like me, but probably even more sarcastic.

"Vu ah you? You look like Miz Ride! Ah you da new human-avian?" he asked in an incredibly annoying accent.

"I'm Maya," I said bluntly. "Can I have my schedule and go to class now?" I asked boredly.

"Ah, yes, ov course, ahm, here," he produced a piece of paper with a schedule.

I smiled. "Great. See ya, Haagen-Dazs!" This earned me another almost-facepalm.

This would be a good day.

**FANG POV**

Aaah! I'm so confused!

Max looks absolutely beautiful. But she just ran away from me! Now what do I do?

I think that I'll do the unthinkable.

I'm going to ask for help.

From Iggy. I'm that desperate.

**IGGY POV**

I was standing by my locker when I heard a quiet shuffle behind me. "What's up, Fang?" I asked.

"I need help," he said bluntly.

"Well, what do you need help with? I specialize in explosions," I suggested.

He explained his situation with Max. "What do I do now?" he asked.

"That's the most words I've ever heard you say. But, what to do?" I pondered this question. Then a little light bulb clicked on in my head. "Fangles, you must make her jealous," I suggested, very wisely.

"Really? Fangles?" he asked, annoyedly.

"Do you prefer Fangaroo? Fangarang? Fangster? Fangy?" I suggested.

I could almost see his facepalm. Almost, because I'm blind. "Just Fang, thank you very much. Anyways, that seems mean. Will it work?"

I smiled evilly. "It always does. I know exactly who you can use for this," I chuckled at the prospect.

"Who?"

"Lissa."

**MAX POV**

I'm so very confused on what to do. I decided just to go to class and wing it. Do I tell him that I like him? Do I just ignore what happened? Gah, I hate this love stuff! So confusing.

I walked into English and saw the most disgusting thing.

Lissa and Fang. She was totally flirting with him and he didn't even mind. He. Was. Freaking. Smiling.

Oh gods, this is not good. I stormed into class and grabbed Fang's arm in anger.

"Come here!" I yelled. He looked extremely scared. Ha. I pulled him out into the hallway.

"What the Hades were you doing with that chick?" I practically screamed.

He smiled. "Iggy was right..." he murmured. "I just wanted to see if you liked me. I wasn't sure, after yesterday," he said.

Oh, gods. Of course. I took a deep breath. "Fang, I really do like you. Yesterday was a mistake. I've only told one other person this story, and this was last night. Trying to get advice about you. You see, there was this guy named Ari..." I rushed through the story.

"And he gave me a horrible scar. I narrowly escaped, and I promised myself that I would never, ever fall for somebody again," I finished.

"Wow, that sucks," he said.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Anyways, I've decided to break my promise," I said.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I'm breaking the stupid promise that I made to myself. It's not going to fix anything, because I think I love you too," I explained.

Then I kissed him.

**Cue the aw's! I love this stuff, even though I'm crappy at writing it. Oh well. Next chapter will involve character development and the intro to a new mission. I am so sorry that it's been like a week since I've updated. I'm really busy right now, because I have a debate to research for, a speech to practice, and the mother of all French tests tomorrow. Yikes.**

**Angel: We'll try our hardest to update quickly!**

**Max: Big apologies! SORRY SORRY SORRY!**

**Angel: That's why we made this chapter extra long for you! Almost 3,000 words for the story! That's not including the A/Ns!**

**Max: Please review! We use flames to make our s'mores!**

**~MaximumAngel1**


	11. I smell something Eggy!

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**Let the story commence!**

**MAYA POV**

_Ding! Ding! Ding! _The bell rang to start first period. I'd never been inside a real school before, but I'd seen some TV shows. Suddenly Max and Fang rushed in, blushing like crazy. I'd seen enough TV shows to know that they were probably making out. Figures.

"You're late for class," stated Mrs. Greensborough, our teacher. "Maximum, this means detention after school. Fang, you get a warning because this is your first tardy. I can see that Ms. Ride is a bad influence on you already," she shook her head in defeat. She took attendance.

"Maximum Ride?"

"Here!"

"Dylan Greene?"

"Here!"

This went on for a few minutes, finally ending in my name. "Class, we have a new student. Her name is Maya. Why don't you introduce yourself, Maya?"

I stood up, facing the class. I looked around. There was a redhead who was wearing a skirt that barely covered her butt, a sandy haired guy, Max, Iggy, Fang, Dylan, a green scaly dude who looked like an alligator, a girl with cat ears and a tail, and even more kids and mutants. This was quite the school.

"I'm Maya, and I have wings. I used to live in Florida, and before that I was trapped in New York. Some place called The Institute For Higher Living. Anyways, I got rescued from Universal Orlando, where I used to work. Nice place. We fought off some Erasers and wound up here," I concluded.

The class just sat there as if this was everyday stuff to them. I was beginning to really like this place. Mrs. G started the lesson about the use of symbolism in Fahrenheit 451, which I mostly tuned out because I had never read the book. I could get used to this.

**NUDGE POV**

When Specialized Training came around, I was super duper excited. I could spar with somebody who was more of my level, no offense to Angel. She was just too small! I couldn't even fight at a decent level because she was so small and adorable! Now that Maya was here, I might be able to get in a good fight. Not that Maya wasn't an awesome fighter. She was good too. Maybe the fight would be really even and we would both, like, collapse after fighting for like an hour. How cliche would that be?

I was heading off to training, when I heard a quiet conversation around the corner. I picked out Iggy's and Fang's voices.

"You got Max to go out with you?" asked Iggy. Whoa! Did she actually...

"Yup. Thanks for the advice, Ig!" Ohmygosh. I suppressed a squee of fangirlness.

"I told you it would work. She's so headstrong, there is no way she could possibly stand seeing you with someone else! I wish that would work with the girl I'm interested in, but she's not that kind of person," sighed Iggy. Ooh, I wonder who it is? I hope it's not me, that would be awkward. He's cute, but I totally don't like-like him. Ew! He's like my brother!

"Who?" asked Fang.

"Ella," sighed Iggy. Aww, they would be sooo cute together! And Ella totally likes him, too! I just had to intrude on this conversation. I love playing matchmaker!

"Hi um sorry I was listening to you guys. Fang, that is awesome news. You guys are so cute together! I told you so! Anyways, Iggy, you should totally ask Ella out. I know for a 100% fact that she will say yes. Just do it! Haha, that's the Nike thing. I like Nike shoes, but they're not super cute. I prefer heels, or Uggs! Uggs are so cozy and comfortable! They're like slippers that you can wear outside and in school and the mall and- mmph!" I was cut off by Iggy slapping his hand over my mouth.

"Wow, Nudge. I didn't think you could be quiet enough to eavesdrop on us. Of course you had to start ranting the minute you stopped listening. By the way, thanks a lot for listening in on us. Makes me feel like I have a real sense of privacy. Jeez. But thanks for the advice anyways," he said.

"That's what I do!" I said proudly once he had taken his hand away from my mouth, signaling that I could talk again.

We headed off to Specialized Training happily. I met Maya there and showed her what to do. My specialty is speed, and I beat her in the track running. We had a nice sparring session. I ended up winning because I used her metal bracelets to pull her in whatever direction I wanted to. It helps to be magnetic! She should learn not to wear metal near me. Tae Kwon Do was pretty fun, although I prefer Kung Fu. Everybody was really hungry when lunchtime came. Lunch today was Chicken Strips. Oh, gross!

The thing about chicken strips at our school is that they don't taste like chicken. They don't look like chicken. They don't even smell like chicken! And on top of that, they are disgustingly undercooked. Good thing I packed a lunch today!

"Hey, Gazzy! You should run this through the science lab to see if it's real chicken!" suggested Max, holding out her little tray of them.

"Good idea! You should take these so-called mashed potatoes, too!" I added. I shoved Max's entire tray at him while I took another bite of mango. Mmm... that's my favorite fruit. Mango and watermelon.

Iggy got up from the table. "Ella, will you come here for a second?" he asked nervously.

"Sure, Iggy!" she replied. I watched as they walked away from the table a bit. Iggy said something nervously. Ella's face lit up and she answered him. She pecked him on the cheek. Iggy blushed bright red as Ella grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the table giddily. I winked at him knowingly.

Lunch progressed normally with the small addition of two new relationships. I smiled as everybody looked so happy. Maya was fitting in nicely, although she was sitting with the 'popular people'. Oh, well. This table was overflowing anyways. For this day, at least, there weren't any problems. I smiled. Then, suddenly,

"OH GROSS! EEW!" shrieked Angel. Everyone looked at her in confusion.

"What, did Gazzy let loose his 'talent'"? asked Max, already holding her nose just in case.

Angel shook her head. "No, not Gazzy," everybody breathed a sigh of relief. "It's you four!" she pointed to Max, Fang, Ella and Iggy.

"What about us?" asked Ella confusedly.

Angel facepalmed. "I'm a mind reading nine year old. I've heard things that no nine year old should _ever _hear. And you guys are not helping! PG, ok? Keep the thoughts PG!" she cried, exasperated.

Max and Ella's faces turned red. Fang went into his usual state of Mr. Emotionless Brick Wall. Iggy was, well, being Iggy. And me? I was laughing my head off!

"You... guys... just... got... OWNED!" I shrieked with laughter, gasping for breath. Max shot me the death glare. That shut me up.

Ah, lunchtime. It's the best time of day!

**~~~TIME SKIPPITY SKIP- THREE DAYS LATER~~~**

**MAX POV**

I thought that I had been good today! Dr. Martinez said if I didn't get in any trouble and didn't break any more alarm clocks, she would consider getting me a credit card. So far, I had passed the 'no breaking clocks' part, but now I was getting called down to the office! Although, The Flock, Dylan and Maya had also gotten called down. I don't recall pranking them...

As soon as I got inside, I was greeted by our newest faculty member, Dr. ter Borcht. He was a grumpy old dude with an accent similar to Haagen-Dazs'. I call him Borchy.

"Hallo, Miz Ride. You must meet Dahctor Gunther-Hagen in ze conference room," he instructed.

"Hallo, Borchy. You must get rid of zat annoying accent," I said sarcastically. I swear, if these teachers knew how to facepalm, they would. I don't think facepalming came with the standard government training package. At least they weren't, like, United States Navy people that made you pass some completely unnecessary survival skills course. That would be reeeeally annoying!

I made my way into the conference room. I was the last bird-kid to arrive. Fashionably late, that's me!

Haagen-Dazs looked up from his laptop which he was connecting to a projector. Ooh, we get a fancy presentation.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Ride. Please, take your seat," said Dr. G-H, motioning to an open chair. Next to Fang! I did a mental happy dance. I sat down and waited for the show to begin. I guess I wasn't in trouble.

Haagen-Dazs stood up. "Velcome. You ah called here today for a new type of mission," he began. Many eyebrows were raised. New type of mission? "You vill be rescuing mutants zat are not human-avian hybrids. Ve have reports of four mutant children in the Washington, DC area. Ze first is a boy whose name is reportedly 'Ratchet'. He is known to have heightened senses. Ze next two are known to travel together. Zey are two girls named Kate and Star. Kate has super strength and Star is extremely fast. Ze last is a boy named Holden. He has regenerative abilities."

As Haagen-Dazs was talking, he clicked through photos of the kids. Ratchet's photo was dark and blurry, of a kid with sunglasses and some fancy headphones. Kate was a pretty Asian girl in a private school uniform. Star was wearing the same uniform. She had blue eyes, blonde hair, and was rail-thin. Holden looked like a nerdy twelve year old: nerd glasses, zits all over, braces, etc.

"Your mission vill be to locate, and if possible, retrieve these mutants," said G-H. He explained details about sightings of the kids. Ratchet was a shady gang member, it seemed. Kate and Star attended some schmancy private school. Holden went to public school. Piece of cake. He then went over our itinerary, when we would leave and where we would stay. Yadda yadda.

I headed home with a smile on my face, humming a Coldplay song. I walked through the door, only to be bombarded by my mom.

"Come here! Shh!" she whispered, dragging me up the stairs and into my room.

"What?" I asked, plopping down onto my bed tiredly and swinging off my backpack.

She grinned. "I've got a surprise for you, but be quiet! I don't want the other girls to know!" She pulled out something small and rectangular. She handed it to me and I inspected it.

"For you," she said. It was a credit card! With my name on it!

"Thank you thank you thank you so much!" I whisper-shouted and gave mom a big hug. Even though she wasn't my real mom, she was just like one to me and Nudge. She smiled.

"Now come downstairs. I heard about your newest mission, so I made cookies!" she told me. I was downstairs before you could say, 'Oh, yum! Cookies!' I immediately started to stuff my face with chocolate-chip gooey goodness. Mmm.

The rest of the night was spent packing for DC and watching Doctor Who. I need a TARDIS. Where can one obtain a TARDIS? That was off topic...

I went back up to my wonderful room and my not-broken clock. I looked at it, and found that it was around 10:15. I would need to get up at 6:45 in the morning to catch the 10:00 flight. Actually, I could probably sleep in more, but Nudge, Maya and Ella would most likely wake me up anyways because they insist on taking like, a year to get ready in the morning. They could at least be quiet, but nooooo, they need to make as much noise as possible. I tried to go to sleep, but lay awake for awhile, thinking of how much my life changed in less than a couple of weeks. Fang was here. Finally, I drifted off into dreamland.

**Jump into a TARDIS and do a time skip! Next morning...**

After going through the ordeal that is called morning, I was finally in the car and on the way to the airport. I was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, while mom was driving and Nudge, Ella (who insisted on seeing us off), and Maya were crammed into the backseat. The trunk was filled with suitcases, backpacks, and duffel bags. The drive was about a half hour long. This may not be a long time, but it's forever and a day when you're crammed into a tiny little overstuffed car with Nudge.

"Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall!"

"NUDGE!"

**You like? I felt the need to introduce some Eggy for ya! That is my way of making up for the sloooow update! I've been a bit writer's block-ish lately, and I have good reasons for being more busy lately. I was seriously hoping to update this weekend, but...**

**The weather was warm. The snow finally melted! You see, where I live, the winter has been lasting even longer than usual, all the way through April. When we finally hit last weekend, the weather got nicer. It wasn't hot, but it felt like freaking summer to everybody up here! So, I was outside. Not sitting on my lazy butt reading/writing fanfiction all day! But I've updated so pleeease don't yell at me!**

**R&R!**

**Angel: Lazy butt is right...**

**Max: HEY!**

**~MaximumAngel1**


	12. Ratchet is a sexist pig (DC pt1)

**Hola, amigos!**

**What's up? Thanks for the awesome sauce reviews! You people rock!**

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**midnight crescent: We read Fahrenheit 451 too! My favorite part is when Montag turned Beatty into crispy chicken!**

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**Angel: Oh, not the LOTR thing again...**

**Max: One ring to rule them all!**

**Angel: *facepalm* Let's just go on with the story already!**

**MAX POV**

"_I should have bought you flowers!" _sung the annoying voice on the radio. _You buy me flowers, you die, _I thought. Honestly, did Nudge, Maya and Ella really like this stuff? Apparently so, because the three in the backseat were singing along.

I groaned and put in my headphones. I turned on Decode by Paramore, which happens to be one of my favorite songs. I listened happily, tuning out the mainstream pop station playing on the radio.

At the airport, I was less happy. See previous chapters for my former claustrophobic episodes.

"I don't want to go," I said stubbornly, crossing my arms like a child.

Dr. Martinez looked weary. "Max, please. We don't have time for this!"

Nudge tapped her foot impatiently. "Come on, Max! You survived last time!"

"Yes, but anything could happen! I do not want to get into that sardine can of doom!" I argued. Suddenly, the best/worst thing happened.

Fang reached out and grabbed my hand gently. My brain shorted out. "Come on, Max. Let's go save some kids!" he said.

Suddenly, I was not Angry Max. I was not Stubborn Max. I was a rare form of myself, known to some as Lovesick Puppy Max. I followed him in a daze, suddenly not caring about my fears. It's pathetic, I know.

_Yes, yes it is. But it's effective! _commented Angel in my head.

_Angel! Out of my head! _I thought back angrily.

_Sorry! It's just that you think SUPER loudly when you're in this mood! _thought Angel.

_Sorry, Ange, _I thought, then went to work setting up my mind-blocks. I had been attempting to figure out ways to keep Angel out of my head, and I had learned that I could set up 'mind-blocks' that could keep her out, mostly. They're hard to describe in words.

I mindlessly boarded the flying death trap. I knew that I was beat in this argument, because my wing was just healed and it was still not the best to fly with. Plus, it would take at least a day, day and a half to fly all the way to DC. So, sardine can of doom it is.

As the plane started to take off, I snapped out of my lovesick reverie. _Oh, great! What have I done? We're all going to die! At least I have wings, _I thought frantically. _But what if my wing won't work? I might go splat! _I started hyperventilating in panic.

"Relax, Max. The plane isn't going to crash, your wing won't break, and you're not going splat!" assured Fang, who was calmly sitting next to me.

"How did you figure... but... you... not Angel? Read minds... oh good grief. Not another one!" I stammered. Could Fang actually read minds? How did he know what I was thinking?

"Angel," he said simply. The little 'angel' grinned. Of course. That girl was not living up to her name...

I scowled. She gave me a sweet smile from across the aisle. I sighed and plugged in my headphones. The music always helped me calm down. Figure 8 by Ellie Goulding started to play when I stuck my iPhone on shuffle. I hummed along and sipped a little glass of Sprite that I got from a flight attendant. Maybe airplanes weren't so bad after all.

When the plane landed, my ears started to pop. Nudge gave me some gum. It immediately helped. When we got off the tin can, everybody was intact and looked fine. Well, except for Dylan. He was looking a little green around the gills, but from our previous airplane adventures, we knew he was just airsick.

I turned back to my merry band of mutants. "Ok guys, let's find us some freaks!"

**~~~~~~~~Time Skip!~~~~~~~~**

I stared up at the ivy covered, castle-like building. So this was Fancy-Schmancy Private School, or whatever the name was. I couldn't remember.

"I can pick up on their thoughts," said Angel.

"Are they close?" asked Nudge.

Angel smiled. "They're coming out together in three, two, one," we saw two girls walk out of the building, chatting together like anybody else would. I recognized them from the slideshow- Kate and Star.

Kate was a beautiful Asian chick with hair I would die for. This is coming from Maximum Ride, mind you. Her special ability was supposedly super strength. Star, on the other hand, was a rail-thin blonde. She was apparently super fast. Maybe she was part mouse, or hummingbird.

"How do we approach them?" asked Maya. That's a good question, I thought.

"Maybe Angel could, like, pretend to be lost, and like, go ask them for help. But then she could, like show them her wings when they were alone, and they would be all like, ZOMG! And then they would totally come with us!" rambled Nudge. Everyone turned to her in astonishment.

"Nudge, you're a genius!" I said. "Ange, you up for it?"

She grinned. "I'm ready!"

"Let's go!" I told her. She hopped up and ran over to the girls. Already, she had formed fake tears in her eyes. She said something that I couldn't make out, and then the girls noticeably softened their tone. Kate grabbed Angel's hand and the girls lead Angel into the building.

_I'm in! _I heard Angel's voice projected into my head. Gosh, I would never get used to that creepy feeling. I've had... interesting experiences with voices in my head. But that's a story for another time.

We waited, and waited, and waited. It felt like an eternity, but it was probably ten minutes, tops. Then Angel walked out triumphantly with a noticeably freaked out Kate and Star.

"You can come out now," called Angel. Our merry band of mutants climbed out of the large bush we were hiding in (Props to the OCD gardener here, he really knows how to plant a bush!), shaking off leaves and dirt.

Their jaws almost hit the pavement. "There are that many more who are... like you?" asked Kate incredulously.

"Yep, and we don't know how many more of us there are," I answered, while walking over to meet them.

"I'm Max, this is Fang, Iggy, Maya, Dylan, Nudge, Gazzy, and the little cutie you met is Angel," I introduced the flock.

"I'm Star, and this is Kate," replied the blonde. Just as I suspected.

"Nice to meet you guys! I don't know how much Angel has explained to you guys, but you're going to have to come with us. Trust me, it's safe. I've been there awhile," I started. As we walked back to the huge rental van, I started to explain who we were and where we would take them. Dylan got in the driver's seat (I had my license too, but as Iggy has said many times, I'm an accident waiting to happen. Fang and Maya haven't even gotten a permit yet, with the whole 'on the run' deal, and Iggy's blind. Everyone else is too young). Iggy called shotgun, and the rest of us piled into the huge back of the van. This was not a minivan. This van was a huge 14-seater, the size of a small bus. It looked impossible to drive, but apparently Dylan could do it. This might be the only time, ever, when he was useful for something.

We headed to Kate's house, and then Star's house. They packed up their belongings, and wrote notes to their parents about where they were going. I saw Kate was crying, and tough Star even had a tear in her eye. It must be hard to leave your family.

"You'll be ok, guys," promised Angel soothingly. Star turned to her.

"How do you know? You didn't have a family!" she said angrily. Angel looked questioningly at Gazzy, and he nodded.

"Actually, we sort of did. It's a sore topic, so we've never really mentioned it. Ever wonder why our last name is Calloway?" she asked. I nodded, along with Nudge and Iggy. "Well, it all started when we were on the run, in Virginia.

"We had escaped the place where we were experimented on, and were in the hilly state known as Virginia. Lots of the so-called 'gently rolling' type. We had been flying for a long time, and finally touched down in a beautiful open area behind a fancy schmancy house.

"We were exhausted, and needed somewhere to stay. But we were out in the middle of nowhere. So we did the only possible thing to do: we rang the doorbell. A nice lady named Anne Calloway opened the door. We told her a story which I had made up on the spot. She let us in, and became our, I don't know, adoptive mom might be a good term. She found the wings soon, and we had to reveal our true identities. But she cared so much, that she promised to not tell anybody about the wings, or where we really came from," explained Angel. She got a little tear in her eye, and her face looked more downcast.

"But then there was the night when-" Angel burst into tears. I immediately pulled her close and gave her a big, comforting hug.

"It's ok, sweetie. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," I said, holding her close.

She looked up and stopped crying. "It's ok," she said weakly. "I'll finish. Me and Gazzy were asleep in our bedrooms, when there was a huge noise downstairs. Anne screamed, and we heard gruff voices and growls. We knew in our hearts that the Erasers had come for us. We raced downstairs, where Anne was trying to fend them off by swinging a kitchen chair.

We tried to help, we really did. But she told us no, that it was fine. She shoved us out the kitchen window, telling us to fly away. We stood out there, ready to take off, when we heard a scream, and a sickening noise that I can't even say. The Erasers just laughed. We knew she was gone forever," finished Angel, sobbing. I pulled her in tighter. Gazzy, my little trooper, was crying too. I pulled him in as well.

Everyone in the van was shocked and appalled at the cruelty. The kids were only six and eight at the time, maybe younger! How horrifying that must have been...

"Oh, guys. That's terrible," I said. There was a chorus of silent nods and whispered agreements. Even Fang looked deeply sad. Nudge was holding back tears, and Kate looked about ready to burst as well.

"Well, that settles it," said Iggy suddenly. We all turned to him, questioningly. "We're going to kick the butts of every Eraser that _ever _crosses our path, ever again!"

Cheers echoed throughout the van. Even Gazzy and Angel smiled.

"Let's hit the road!" I shouted. Dylan needed no further instruction. Our huge van rolled to a start, and we were off to find us some mutants!

After maybe 15 minutes of driving, the van rolled to a halt near a dark, suspicious-looking alleyway. We slowly piled out. This was apparently Ratchet's current hangout.

I turned to the large group behind me and started forming my plan.

"Ok guys, I think that I'll go in first. I'm a girl, so he'll probably be less on guard because boys are sexist pigs. But I'm also old enough that I might be respected more. You come in when I whistle, or if you hear trouble. Capiche?" I asked, voice low so that I hopefully wouldn't be heard by Ratchet. We didn't know the extent of his super-senses.

"Capiche!" they whisper-shouted. I smiled and quietly tiptoed into the alleyway. I could be almost as quiet as Fang, if I wanted. The alleyway was dark, gloomy, and silent. There was graffiti on the walls and a smelly Dumpster from a restaurant operating on the nearby street. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary near the entrance to the alleyway, but this was a long road with a long alley to match. A perfect place for a gang to hang out.

Slowly, I made my way further into the alleyway. I heard voices and I stopped in my tracks.

"Well, Ratchet? Ya got the money, or what?" asked a gruff voice.

A slightly younger one answered. "Yeah, I've got it. Show me the stuff first," he commanded. Sheesh, this dude didn't exactly have a stellar life ahead of him. Who knows what he was buying. Weapons? Drugs?

I peered around the Dumpster I was hiding behind. On the other side of it were two people. I could only see one of their feet. I thought I was invisible, and unnoticed.

I was wrong.

Quick as lightning, a teenage boy whirled out and pinned me to the wall, a rusty pocket knife to my throat.

"Gotcha!" he crowed triumphantly. "Who do you think you are, trying to sneak up on me?" he asked tauntingly. He had shades on, even in this gloomy light, and some fancy headphones that were around his neck at the moment.

"Well, Ratchet, I think I'm Maximum Ride. And I think that you're coming with me," I choked out, trying not to hit the blade of the knife.

"Oh yeah? You're a chick. Let's see it!" he sneered. Oh, he did _not _just say that! And that's where things got interesting.

**Oh, Ratchet. You should know better that being a sexist pig near Max!**

**I have made my one-week deadline! *pats self on back* Hopefully, I can update sooner in the future. This weekend was hectic for me!**

**Angel: It sure beat my weekend!**

**Max: True.**

**R&R, please!**

**MaximumAngel1**


	13. Unlucky Chapter 13

**Thanks to the reviewers! I'm tired of the insanely long author's notes. Sooooo...**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim it all except the plot. Steal my plot and die.**

**MAX POV**

_Previously in Flight to Haven..._

_I peered around the Dumpster I was hiding behind. On the other side of it were two people. I could only see one of their feet. I thought I was invisible, and unnoticed._

_I was wrong._

_Quick as lightning, a teenage boy whirled out and pinned me to the wall, a rusty pocket knife to my throat._

_"Gotcha!" he crowed triumphantly. "Who do you think you are, trying to sneak up on me?" he asked tauntingly. He had shades on, even in this gloomy light, and some fancy headphones that were around his neck at the moment._

_"Well, Ratchet, I think I'm Maximum Ride. And I think that you're coming with me," I choked out, trying not to hit the blade of the knife._

_"Oh yeah? You're a chick. Let's see it!" he sneered. Oh, he did not just say that! And that's where things got interesting._

This Ratchet kid is a total...

Complete...

IDIOT!

He was going to pay for that idiotic comment. I quickly formed a plan to escape. A devious plan to destroy humanity! Just kidding. I went through fighting moves in my head. Hmm... If I combine a GL with a SK and then SS... Yes, this will work. Let's just see how my acting skills work.

I went limp and coughed hard, faking pain as if his knife had got me. He laughed.

"I told you, you're a chick. You can't fight me!" he taunted. Oh, if he thinks I can't fight him, he's got another thing coming! I kept up my facade, however.

"Oh, please! Help me!" I begged. He got a startled look on his face, which confirmed my suspicions- he didn't actually want to hurt me, just show off for the other guy who was peering around the dumpster and watching the fight. Ratchet regained his 'macho cool dude' cover.

"That's what you get for trying to sneak up on me. Haven't you heard? I can hear something sneaking up from a mile away! I can definitely hear a girl in the alley. So tell me, Maxie, whatcha gonna do?" he sneered. What. A. Jerk. Why do we need this dude? Ugh, Haagen-Dazs is going to get a large complaint from yours truly!

"Well, Ratchie," I mimicked his tone of voice, "what are YOU gonna do?" I snap kicked him in the leg, causing him to lose his balance. I popped up from where I had gone limp and fallen, and quickly sidestepped before he could come at me with the knife. I kicked it out of his hand with the rubber bottom of my sneaker. He got up, rubbing his hand where my foot had connected with it.

"Who the heck are you?" he asked incredulously. I smirked.

"Didn't you hear me the first time? Or was your head preoccupied with sexist pigness?" I snickered. "I am Maximum Ride. You're coming with me."

He shook his head furiously. "You must be sorely mistaken. I'm not going anywhere," he said stubbornly. I took a cautioning step forward.

"Do we need to do this the hard way?" I asked him. He idiotically stayed where he was.

"I think I can take it," he retorted. "Yo, Sean! Com'ere!" he ordered. The man, Sean, stepped out. I guessed that he was the guy that Ratchet was making a deal with, if that was actually real. It could have all been an act.

Sean was a hulk of a guy, almost seven feet tall. Very bulky, muscular. The typical person to be in a gang. I sensed a fight coming. I sent a thought hard in my head.

Angel, if you're listening, do me a favor. Let's mess with their heads, freak them out, ya know? Should be fun, I thought. I immediately started calculating the fight, what would and wouldn't work with these people. Suddenly, my concentration was broken, thankfully be Angel sending a thought back.

Roger that, Max. Give us one minute, 'kay? She said- well, thought- back.

I grinned and cracked my knuckles, all cliche-like. No problemo, Ange. I turned back to the royal idiot.

"So, your Royal Annoyingness, what's this Sean dude here for? Too scared of a chick?" I taunted, buying Angel and the Flock a little more time with their trick.

He shook his head calmly. "Of course not. I just wanted you to see who you're messing with," he quickly fixed his mistake. Suddenly a new voice joined the conversation.

It wasn't Sean's.

"I think you should know who you're messing with," said an invisible voice in the dark. Suddenly smoke rolled through the alleyway.

Smoke bombs: Check! said Angel's voice in my head. I will never get used to that!

A dark shape appeared out of thin air, silhouetted in the dim light and smoke. Suddenly, the figure spread its wings. I grinned. Fang looked reeeeeeally scary in the dim light.

"I am Death!" he cackled. I'm guessing that Iggy scripted this, he was always the dramatic one in the Flock. Sean cowered in the corner. Ratchet looked scared out of his wits, but he stood tall.

Say it with me, came Angel's voice. Ah, so I play a part in the act. I am Fate!

"And I am Fate!" I bellowed, spreading my wings as well. This was your final test, Ratchet. "This was your final test, Ratchet," I repeated. And you failed! "AND YOU FAILED!" I shouted dramatically. Hehe, this is fun!

Fang stepped forward. "Ratchet, you're coming with me!" he commanded.

Ratchet fainted.

Fang then turned to me and gave one of his half-smiles. "That was easy," he said.

I smiled back as we lifted up Ratchet and carried him out of the alleyway. The flock cheered. Kate looked suspicious.

"What did you do to him?" she asked worriedly. I smiled.

"He just fainted, the wimp!" I answered gleefully. We shoved him into the van and drove away, me telling the story and everybody else laughing.

**********************Time Skip*************************

When we were getting close to Holden's school, Ratchet woke up.

"Aaah! Where are we? Who are you? Please don't take me back to that place!" he screamed.

"Relax," said Angel soothingly. "We're not from the places where they experiment on you. Trust me, we're like you. Most of us here have wings. Kate and Star have other powers, instead of wings. We're here to take you somewhere safe," she explained.

Ratchet looked around in astonishment. "No way," he breathed. Then his eyes landed on me and Fang. "You! You're the angels from the alley!" he shouted accusingly.

"Nah, it was an act. To have some fun, y'know?" I explained, laughing. He sighed.

"Fine. You gonna explain more about this safe place?" he asked.

"Let's wait till we pick up Holden. He's the last of all of you," I told him. The van rolled to a halt in front of the classic school: big, brick, and boxy. D.C. Middle School was written in giant metal letters across the front of the building. [A/N: I made this place up, so if it's real, it wasn't supposed to be! Don't sue me!] Kids were exiting the building and climbing aboard the buses.

"Crap! We might have missed him! Everyone from the Haven, take a bus. Keep an eye out for him. Kate, Star, Ratchet- you don't know what he looks like. Keep the van safe, 'kay? I trust you guys. Capiche?" I asked.

"CAPICHE!" shouted everyone.

"Great. Let's go, go, go!" I shouted. Everyone piled out of the van and raced towards the buses. We stood there, searching through the sea of kids and trying to find Holden. In the end, it was Nudge who had spotted him, and he came without complaint.

"You guys know about me?" he asked excitedly. Everyone nodded. "Finally! I was getting sick of people asking about my scars, and my family not caring. You're not from... there... are you?" he suddenly looked worried.

"Unless by there, you mean a safe place for us to live and be protected from places like the place that kidnapped you, then no, we aren't from there," I laughed. He grinned.

"Sweet. Let's get outta here!" he cheered. Easy as pie, I thought. The van pulled away, tires squealing. The van was completely full of people. Next stop: the airport. I pulled out my phone and called Haagen-Dazs to report our success.

"Hallo, Miss Ride. Iz your mission successful?" he asked in that very annoying accent of his.

"Hallo, Haagen-Dazs! How's Borchy, Marian and Chubacca?" I asked sarcastically. I didn't give him time to respond. "Anyways, we've got everyone and we're heading to the airport right now," I informed him.

"Vonderful. I vill have some agents there vaiting for you," he said.

"Great. See ya later," I hung up on the call. The drive was short, and we got there in no time. This mission was a breeze! But something was missing...

Erasers, I realized, as we jumped out of the van and were immediately surrounded by them. Immediately, the flock got into their fighting stances. I smiled proudly. I've taught them so well... *sniff* I started barking orders.

"Okay, everyone! Fight your way to the door in pairs! I'll go with Holden, Fang, go with Star, Iggy and Gazzy, Dylan and Kate, Maya and Ratchet, Nudge and Angel, capiche?" I shouted.

"Capiche!" And so it began... the fateful ordeal that would cause a heck of a lot of trouble.

I grabbed Holden's skinny arm and yanked him forward. I immediately went into Maximum Fighting Mode, taking down all the Erasers in my path. I shoved Holden through a gap.

"Go! The agents will be waiting for you!" I yelled at him. He ran inside, just as agents in suits came out with guns that I recognized as tranquilizer dart guns. They started firing at the Erasers, but soon realized that it took about five darts to bring one down.

I whirled around, taking more down. I was engaged in a particularly tough battle with a stubborn Eraser. Suddenly, my arms were yanked roughly behind my back.

"What the f-udge?" I caught myself, for Angel's sake. I turned my head to see a smiling Eraser, who started to drag me away. Oh, no! They can't take me back to that place! Can they? He suddenly went down with a sickening crunch. Fang appeared behind him.

"You didn't think we would let you go, did you?" he asked, smirking. I hate being the damsel in distress. I can do distress, all right. But I am not a damsel!

Suddenly I looked on with horror as ten Erasers came up behind him.

"Fang! Look behind you!" I cried.

"Wha-?" he was cut off by a furry hand clamped over his mouth. They started to drag him away, just like they did with me.

"NO!" I shouted, and started throwing punches and kicks at their grotesque figures. A claw raked down my arm, but I was too busy fighting for my life- and Fang's- to notice. They couldn't possibly take away the one I loved the most!

A new voice rang out. "Maximum Ride, stop!" I turned around just enough to see it was the head agent.

"What is wrong with you? Can't you see I'm trying to keep Fang from being KIDNAPPED!" I shrieked in fury.

"You are injured. Dr. Gunther-Hagen insists that you come back. You are the most important. We cannot afford to let you get injured, or die," explained the lady. She muttered something into her Bluetooth.

"Well, Fang's important, too! You can't stop me!" I shouted. The situation was getting hopeless, as more Erasers converged on us.

"Do you want me to do this the hard way?" threatened the head honcho. She sounded like some little kid's mom.

"Try me," I said, scowling. Suddenly, I felt a pinch in my leg. A faint voice at the back of my head told me that it was a tranquilizer dart. Oh, crud. I just prayed that the Erasers wouldn't get me first.

As I faded into unconsciousness, still throwing (weak) punches and kicks, but to no avail. The only thought that went through my head was Fang. He's gone... The last thing I saw was Ari's face grinning at me.

Wait, whaaaaaaat?

**~~~~~~~~~~~TIME SKIP~~~~~~~~~~**

I woke up with a start. "Where's Fang?" I yelled, taking in the surroundings. It was, small, schmancy, and most definitely in the air. I was on a private jet. Hooray for more tin cans of doom.

An agent in a suit walked into the compartment. "Ah, Miss Ride. You are awake, and at a remarkable speed for this quality of dart, may I add. I'm afraid I have some... news," she said. I looked at her little name tag on her lanyard. Agent Anne Walker, FBI. Ooh, we're FBI-worthy now. Oh, joy.

"News? Tell me, Anne," I said impatiently. She frowned.

"You, Maximum Ride, are the most important recombinant life-form we've ever heard of. Their flagship, the most successful. Generation 54- the winged children," she explained, but was cut off.

"I'm seventeen," I pointed out helpfully. "And I honestly don't see where this is going."

She sighed. "The point is, you are the greatest success, out of all the generations, even out of Gen 54. We couldn't afford to lose you. That's why we had to tranquilize you- so that you would remain safe. Unfortunately, your friend- Fang, right?- was taken by the werewolf-like creatures. But don't worry! We've got our best agents on the case!" she explained.

I was absolutely incredulous. "Best agents? You are out of your mind! You have no idea what you're dealing with, and there's no way in heck that your 'best agents' are gonna find Fang. He's gone, and you let it happen! How could you?" I shouted. I was now towering over Anne.

"We tried our hardest-"

"Ha! Your hardest! That wouldn't work in a million years!" I shouted. "Get out of here. You're certainly not helping the situation," I snickered in my semi-delusional state.

She left quickly, rushing out the little door that led to what I guessed was the main compartment. I leaned back in my cushy chair, pondering the situation.

You have to go save him, said a little voice in my head.

No dip, Sherlock. Angel, please, I'm really not in the mood for you in my head, I scowled.

It's not Angel, said The Voice. Oh my fish sticks. The Voice is back.

The last time I heard it was three years ago- the day I left Ari.

Ari.

**DUN DUN DUN!**

**Please review!**

**~Max and Angel**


	14. Saving Fang and Other Extreme Sports

**Hola amigos!**

**...I don't speak Spanish. But who cares? I'd like to keep the A/N short, so I'll just shout out the reviewers, disclaim it and get on with the story!**

**Reviewers: Thanks to... Duskingdawn, I Am a kick ass Princess, and whaaaa (Guest)!**

**HEY Y'ALL! WE GOT 30 REVIEWS! *happy dance***

**Disclaima' time!: Me no own Max Ride. I can haz cheezburger?**

**MAX POV (I think I will use this the most from now on)**

Gone. That was the only word that I could think of at this moment. Fang was gone, and it was my fault. Somehow, Ari connected everything... and the Voice was back. Just peachy.

I tried to make sense of all this. I systematically ran through the events in my mind. Event 1: Ari betrays me, the Voice goes MIA. Event 2: Ari kidnaps Fang, the Voice comes back. The logical meaning of this is that Ari triggers the Voice. Ari means The School... so the Voice has something to do with The School.

And it was in my head. Well, crap.

_Hey! I take offense!_ Great. Now the Voice has emotions. _Yes, I do. And thoughts. And right now, I'm thinking that you need to get moving and save Fang!_ I scowled at The Voice. It was so... nagging. Annoying.

I thought back at it. _Well, I'm trying! It's a bit hard to on a government plane!_

I could almost hear it sigh. _Just... try, ok? Don't give up._ I've never heard it be so helpless sounding. Usually it acted like it ran the place.

Of course I'll try. And I won't stop 'till I'm dead. I vowed that to myself, and to The Voice, and to Fang. My momentary silence and peace was interrupted by five children who were extremely focused on one mission: to comfort me as if he had died or something. He might as well be.

Nudge, ever so talkative, was the first to speak. She wrapped me in a hug.

"Oh, Max, I know it's hard for you, but trust me. I can help. You see, Girl Beat magazine has this article called 'Seven Steps to Feeling Great After He's Gone!" Trust me, it's like, guara-" I cut her off.

"Nudge, I think that article is about a breakup, not about when your boyfriend gets kidnapped by vicious mutant beasts," I pointed out. Looking dejected, and not wanting to argue with me, she backed away.

"What she means," said Angel, "is that you can still feel ok!"

I shrugged. "And what makes you think that I wouldn't be ok?" I asked. In truth, I really wasn't, but they didn't need to see me weak.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because your boyfriend was kidnapped, maybe because you sent an FBI agent running out of the compartment, or maybe because your thoughts say so!" pointed out Angel. Curse the mind reading nine year old.

"Whatever. The point is," I explained, "I have a plan."

"No," said Dr. Gunther-Hagen, a couple hours later. He folded his hands together. "You vill not be sent in on ze mission. Not yet, anyvays. Ve have our agents on ze case. He vill be retrieved by ze FBI task force. Ve do not vant to risk losing anyvone else," he said in his ever-so-annoying accent.

"Losing? As in, forever kind of losing?" I asked incredulously.

He frowned uncertainly. "Vell, ve never know for sure..." I burst in.

"WHAT!? You mean that you don't even know if he's safe? You don't know if he's even ALIVE? I'm outta here!" I shouted in fury.

"Miss Ride, please-"

"No," I growled. "You've done more than enough."

I burst out the door and left school in a rage. I was not going to let this happen. I formed a plan in my mind. I was never good at detective work, but last year's criminology elective would certainly help with the issue at hand. I burst through the door. Nobody was home- my mother was most likely at the lab, and everybody else was still in school. Good. I went into my room and pulled out my laptop. I googled 'Flights to Washington, D.C.'. Gotta love google. I checked the clock on the display- 1:15 P.M. The next flight left at 5:45- perfect. I bought a ticket online with my new credit card and printed it off. Then I got to work packing.

Clothes. I rummaged through my closet. I grabbed a couple t-shirts with various band names on them- I think I saw Pink Floyd and Paramore- and some jeans. I threw in some more stuff and then grabbed my Apple laptop. Lastly, I threw in a picture of me and Fang from a few days ago, after we started dating. It was horribly taken, and part of my face was cut off, but to me it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I shoved my phone in my pocket, grabbed headphones to plug into it, and went downstairs.

I grabbed a pen and notepad and started to write.

_Hey Mom. You probably know where I'm heading, since you aren't a dimwit, and I would just like to tell you this: 1. I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye, but I knew that you would stop me. 2. Don't follow me, please. I can't have the government bothering me and shooting me with tranquilizer darts (tell them that I'm still mad about that, will you?) 3. Tell the flock that I need to do this alone. Thank you, Max._

I stuck the piece of paper on the counter. As a last thought, I grabbed some chocolate and snacks out of the cupboard and my wallet (wow, forgetting that would really stink!). I went out the door and locked it, placing the key under the welcome mat. I took a final look at the house, then swung my backpack off my shoulder and stretched out my stiff wings.

Man, it felt good to do that again. I took a running leap and soared upward into the sky. It's the best feeling ever, trust me. I can't even describe it. It's like you're defying gravity.

The flight to the airport was short. I landed in a field nearby and walked a few blocks to the ginormous building. The entrance loomed up at me. I walked in and passed through security with my ticket. I headed down to Gate 45. I checked my watch: 3:30. I would be here for a while before the plane started to board. I headed over to McDonald's in the concourse.

The girl there looked really bored. "Welcome to McDonald's. What would you like to order?" she asked in a monotone voice.

I peered upwards at the menu. "I'll have... four double cheeseburgers, a large fry and a chocolate milkshake. Large, please," I ordered. The girl's eyes widened.

"Oo-kay then. Four double cheeseburgers, a large fry and a large chocolate shake," she confirmed.

"Mm-hmm. Here's a twenty," I said and handed her my money. It was just enough to cover the large order. When it was ready, I sat down and bit into a delicious burger. Mmm... I sighed, chowing down. I was starving- I hadn't eaten since before we picked up Holden. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Eventually, the time came for me to board the plane. I saw it out the large window at the gate. Sure, it looked well-built and fancy, but it's still a tin can of doom.

"Group 1!" called the flight attendant. A bunch of businesspeople went through the gate. I sighed in relief. I still had a little while until I had to get on the plane.

The people filed onto the plane slowly and methodically, with their briefcases and carry-ons. All I had was my backpack. Overstuffed, yes, but a backpack all the same. In the meantime, I turned my phone onto airplane mode. How convenient.

"Group 2!" announced the attendant. I looked warily at the ticket. **GROUP 2**. Fnick. People started to get out of their seats and make their way to the gate.

I will get on. I will get on. I will get on, for Fang. I pictured him taking my hand and leading me onto the plane, as he did on the last dreadful trip. My heart settled down, and I started towards the plane. I scanned my ticket and took the fateful steps onto the aircraft. I found my seat- 27F, the window seat. I sat down, stuffing my backpack under the seat in front of me. I spent some time logging my laptop onto the in-flight WiFi. I relaxed a little, knowing that I was still connected to the world.

Eventually, the flight took off. I popped in some chewing gum as my ears popped. Although I was in a tin can of doom, the air felt like home. Claustrophobic, unsafe, doom-filled home. I put in my headphones and turned my music on shuffle. _Guns & Horses_ by Ellie Goulding came on. How fitting.

_I left my house, left my clothes_

_Door wide open, heaven knows_

_That you're so worth it, you are_

_But I wish I could feel it all for you_

_I wish I could be it all for you_

_If I could erase the pain, maybe you'd feel the same_

_I'd do it all for you, I would_

**[Guns & Horses by Ellie Goulding. Me no own]**

I smiled and listened to the music flowing through the earphones. The songs helped me relax. I checked my email. There was a new message from Haagen-Dazs.

**To: Maximum Ride**

**From: Dr. Hans Gunther-Hagen**

**Subject: Fang**

Hello, Maximum.

I see that you have left the Haven, against my orders. Fortunately, we have found the plane that you are on. I would like to warn you that you will be intercepted at the gate when you arrive in Washington, D.C. If you comply, your retrieval will run smoothly. If not, we will have to do this the hard way. I hope you receive this message as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Dr. Hans Gunther-Hagen

**[end message]**

That... jerk! How dare he? I was so furious! Here I was, on a godforsaken AIRPLANE, trying to rescue my boyfriend and best friend from imminent danger, and he was more worried about retrieving ME? I don't think so!

I came up with a new plan. Plan B. Dangerous? Yes. Illegal? Yes. Fun? Heck yeah! And it would definitely do the trick. I looked out the window. I calculated that we had reached regular cruising altitude and that we were nearing the Mississippi River. Perfect, no mountains or tall buildings anywhere close- Saint Louis was south, Chicago was north. I looked up. The seatbelt sign was off, so that meant we weren't near turbulence. Nice.

I grabbed my bag and hooked it over my arm. I walked up to the emergency exit, took a deep breath, and opened it. People screamed, hearing the rushing wind and feeling the cold. Flight attendants rushed onto the scene- but it was too late.

I jumped.

I enjoyed the euphoria of free-fall, then I popped out my wings. They jerked up painfully. Remind me never to do that again, I thought as I felt the horrible pain. After a couple of minutes, the pain subsided and I could enjoy the flight. I tilted south-east and passed over St. Louis. Since Haagen-Dazs would find out about it eventually, I decided to have some fun. I swooped low through the Gateway Arch and then soared back into the sky above the city.

After crossing the Mississippi River, I tilted slightly more north, on a course towards D.C. I stopped in a town with a Greyhound station and bought a ticket. I walked on and got to my place. I fell asleep on the bus, dreaming about- guess who- Fang.

I woke up, blinking at the sunlight that had filtered in. It was morning. I checked my watch- 7:33 AM. The bus had just pulled into the bus station. I blinked my eyes groggily and got off the bus. First stop- the airport. I walked around- it appeared as if there weren't any agents there.

I searched all over the entrance. Once, a lady and a couple of kids walked up to me.

"Miss, have you lost your ticket?" asked the woman. I smiled and shook my head.

"Oh, no. Thank you, though!" I replied in a fake-cheery voice. She walked away, taking the kids with her. One looked back at me and waved. I waved back, smiling, then continued my search for clues. Suddenly, I stopped. There was a tourism sign that had pictures of different locations.

_**Hello!**__ This is the Washington Monument! Some people say that it is the__** maximum**__ of monuments in the United States. There isn't a __**ride**__ to the top, but it is still loved by kids and adults alike! If you __**come**__ here, you will enjoy it. The obelisk was built __**to**__ commemorate George Washington. Visit __**the Washington Monument**__ today!_

**Hello Maximum Ride. Come to the Washington Monument.**

The words lit up when I looked at them, as if they were glowing. They knew that I was here. The School knew. It made me wonder how far they could see, where their power reached. Whatever was going on, I was getting to the bottom of it.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. There was an agent in a black suit right behind me, blocking my path of escape. I recognized her as the agent who had talked to me on the airplane.

She tapped her Bluetooth. "I've found her, near entrance 6," she spoke to an unknown person. "Maximum Ride, you must come with me," she instructed.

"I don't think so," I scoffed. Then I reached out and pressure-pointed her in the neck. She collapsed.

"Oh my god! This agent just fainted!" I cried, attracting as much attention as possible. "Someone call 911!" I shouted.

"I'm on it!" yelled a man in a suit. People rushed over, causing a lot of commotion and disruption.

So nobody noticed anything when I slipped away, into the crowd.

**You like? Review! We use flames to make s'mores!**

**Max: Sorry for the day late update! I hope to have the next chapter up sooner than usual!**

**Angel: Someone needs to tell her what a deadline means...**

**Max: Hey! I try!**

**We have a little survey: Who wins, Gandalf or Dumbledore? Review to tell us!**

**-Max and Angel**


	15. Amurrica the not-so-beautiful

**Bonjour! It's Max and Angel with a new chapter of Flight To Haven!**

**Just your friendly neighborhood disclaimer: we no own. Capiche?**

MAX POV

The Washington Monument. What was the deal there? All I knew was that I would find out. That was the only way to get him back.

I slipped out of the crowd that had clustered over the unconscious FBI agent and made my way out of the airport. My first stop was to...

...get a haircut. Didn't see that coming, eh? Well, it was a necessity. I needed to make myself less recognizable. I found my way to some salon and made my way into it.

"Welcome to Beauty Clips, how may I assist you?" drawled the girl at the counter in a monotone voice.

"Could I schedule a haircut? I need it as soon as possible," I said, trying to sound convincingly hurried.

"The soonest opening is..." the girl peered at the computer screen, "...now, actually. We can fit you in right now."

I grinned. "Wonderful," I exclaimed. "That would be perfect!" She nodded and told me to wait about five minutes. I spent time flipping through the hairstyle books, trying to find one that I liked. Suddenly, one caught my eye. Bingo.

When the stylist arrived, I pointed out my choice. She nodded enthusiastically.

"That would look AMAZING on you!" she squealed. Whoa, Nelly, this is one excited lady. "Is there anything else? I've always wanted to try that cut on someone! Oh, by the way, I'm Cindy!" she exclaimed.

"Great! I think that I'd like to make my hair lighter- you know, more regular blonde, less brown?" I asked, hoping that this was actually a thing.

"Dye it lighter? Gotcha!" she said, motioning for me to sit down in the spinny salon chair. She swept the cape onto me and pulled my hair back off my shoulders. For a minute, she just looked at it, murmuring things to herself. "...inches, mm-hmm, and honey blonde maybe... yes... a-ha! Perfect!" she exclaimed. She tipped my head back into the sink and started to wash my hair. That felt nice, I was admittedly in desperate need of a shower. After much work on my hair, and about an hour and a half of wasted time, she finally was finished.

"There! Done! You can see it now!" she exclaimed. She turned the chair around to face the mirror. But staring back at me was a whole different person.

The girl in the mirror looked at least twenty years old. She had medium-light blond hair that fell a few inches below her shoulders in cascading waves. Gone was the seventeen year old with lower-back-length straight, dirty blonde hair. But somehow... it was still me. Different, but me all the same.

"I love it! This is wonderful!" I exclaimed enthusiastically, still playing the part of a total girly girl. Bleah. I paid the HUMONGOUS bill and then exited the shop, breathing in fresh air that wasn't tinted with the pungent smell of hairspray.

It was getting dark out, so I headed to a motel to stay the night.

"I'll take a single room for tonight, please," I asked. The greasy guy at the counter was giving me the creeps.

"Alright, missy," he said. He sounded drunk. Oh, joy. "That's gonna be 60 bucks."

I handed him some cash from an ATM. He took it and stuck it in the register, then grabbed a room key for me.

"Number 28," he said. I thanked him and walked down the hallway. There was peeling wallpaper and a flickering overhead light. Sooo not worth 60 bucks. I could tell in my peripheral vision that he was checking me out. Oh, lord. I fell asleep on top of the bed, in my longest sleeved clothes. I did not trust this place, it was probably infested with bedbugs. After a restless sleep, I got the heck out of there as fast as possible. Luckily, there was a middle-aged woman at the counter this time. I headed out and started to walk.

Next stop: The Washington Monument. Time to figure out what the heck was going on.

* * *

I craned my neck to see the top of the giant monolith. The awesomeness of Amurrica in obelisk form! I looked around, trying to see what the point was of being here. There was a large pool in front of it. I stared at my reflection.

What I saw in the pool, I couldn't tell you. There were visions, horrible ones. Of Fang dying, of the Flock dying, of war and destruction and the apocalypse. I was extremely shaken and haunted by the images in the pool. What could they possibly have meant?

I left, almost in tears, with only one thing that I had found out. I saw a facade of a building, one that I recognized from tourist flyers. It had kept flashing between the visions. I knew exactly where I was headed. The Smithsonian.

I hopped into a rental car that I had picked up on the way to the monument. I started off, through the rush hour traffic. Unfortunately, I had gotten stuck in a traffic jam. I cursed loudly at the driver in front of me. He could totally be driving faster than that! Come on! Yelling curses, I swerved dangerously around him. He yelled back at me and flipped me off. I snickered and put the pedal to the metal, speeding off on the side of the road. Rules, schmules.

I pulled back into the road dangerously, swearing at the driver that should have totally yielded to me! Where was the sign that said 'Yield to angry bird kids who need to save their boyfriends from evil scientists'? Come on, people! After much trouble, I made my way into the Smithsonian parking lot. Now, where to go.

At the door, I was given a little flyer with a map of the building. I opened it up, then blinked a few times to make sure I was seeing correctly. I was.

The East elevator was circled in red pen, with this scrawled next to it. "LL, 2, 1, STAR". What the heck was that supposed to mean? I went to the elevator anyways. Suddenly I heard very familiar voices calling my name.

"MAAAAAAAAX! WAIT!" yelled Nudge, getting annoyed looks from people in the museum. Nudge, along with Angel, Gazzy, and Iggy, ran up to me. Nudge and Angel gave me huge hugs while Gazzy and Iggy hung back awkwardly.

"Oh my gosh, guys, how'd you even find me?" I asked incredulously. Nudge grinned.

"Well, as soon as we had figured out that you left, we immediately got on the next flight here. I swiped Dr. M's credit card- I hope she doesn't mind. Anywho, we got here and went into the sky. It was a bit tricky at first, but once we looked at the roads, you were easy to find. We could hear you swearing at the other drivers and see you swerving all the way up here!" exclaimed Nudge.

"My ears are contaminated," complained Angel.

"So then we saw you go in here, and we got inside as fast as we could! Btw, nice hair! You look soooo sophisticated! Like, seriously, you could easily pass as like, 20 years old!" continued Nudge.

"So," Iggy broke in, "what are you doing in the Smithsonian?" he asked, getting us back on track.

"Right," I explained. I told them about my adventures here in DC, and they nodded. Nudge shivered when I explained the motel incident, and everyone looked a bit creeped out when I told them about the visions in the pool. "And that brings me here. I got a map, with the East Elevator circled. That's here. It has some sort of code written on it. LL, 2, 1, STAR. Anybody know what that even means?" I asked hopefully.

The Flock thought for a moment. Suddenly, Angel's face lit up. "I know! They sound like the buttons on the elevator. You know, lower level, floor one, floor two, main level!" she exclaimed.

"You are a genius," praised Iggy.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's try it!" I exclaimed. We piled into the elevator and pressed the force shut button before anyone else could get inside. I pressed the buttons in order- sure enough, those were legitimate buttons. After pressing STAR, the elevator sat there, doing nothing.

"Maybe we broke it?" wondered Gazzy. Suddenly, the elevator shot downwards at frightening speeds. "WE BROKE IT!" screamed Gazzy. "WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"Shush," I said. It felt as if we were slowing down. Sure enough, the elevator ground to a halt, our ears popping from the sudden decrease in altitude. The doors opened, and everyone gasped.

Inside was a futuristic looking network of underground hallways. The floor was a simple linoleum, but the ceiling was rounded and pure white, along with the walls. Doors lined the tunnels on both sides, with glass windows. They were labs- science labs. They appeared empty at the moment, but there was blood on the floor of one.

I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. This was like The School, scarily so. We were in the belly of the beast, miles underground with nobody to hear us scream. A perfect location, I thought bitterly.

There was a map on one wall. I scanned it for anything that might lead to Fang. Suddenly, I saw a tunnel marked 'Cells' on the map.

"Bingo," I whispered. The flock nodded and we set off down the tunnels, making our way to the cells. I saw horrible, indescribable things. Test rooms full of mice that died as we watched, glowing radioactive green. There was a robot with a face made of real human skin. There were babies with four arms, children with paws, tails and other horrible things. You really don't want to hear any more- that was the least sick and twisted of all of the experiments.

The tunnel reached the intersection. The cells split off into two sides. I asked Angel if she could hear him thinking.

"No," she said nervously. My stomach sank. Oh god. "Well, let's split up. Gazzy, Iggy, Nudge, you go that way. I'll take Angel this way," I ordered. We split up and headed down the long tunnels.

There were more experiments, huge quantities of them, and it made me feel like I could really make a difference, and save these kids lives. They looked at me hopefully, but I couldn't do anything, not yet anyways. Suddenly, I froze, staring into the last cell in the very long tunnel.

Slumped inside was an unconscious figure, who was beaten black and blue and had blood running down the side of his face. But I recognized it as Fang, my best friend. I had found him.

"Fang," I whispered. No response. "Fang!" I said, a little louder. He stirred, but didn't wake up.

"I got this," murmured Angel. Oh, right. Thought-messages. He woke up with a start.

"Max," he breathed, his voice raspy and ragged. I smiled.

"I'm here. We're gonna blow this pop can, if you know what I mean," I replied. The corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile, then his face turned into a look of fright.

"And just what do you think you're doing here, _Maximum Ride_?" sneered a voice I knew only too well. Ari.

"Didn't you hear me? I said, we're gonna blow this pop can!" I said in defiance. Rule #1: Don't show your fear.

"Yeah, right. As if," he said. "You can't fly away this time, little birdy. I'm gonna get you, like I should have back in Hollywood. And this time, you won't get away. This time, you are going to die. And I will gladly be the one who finishes the job," Ari snickered.

And for the first time in three years, I felt like every word he said could easily be true. But I was not going down without a fight.

"Bring it on," I said.

**ZE END! The winner of the debate Gandalf vs. Dumbledore was GANDALF! 2-0! Next question: Disney or Nickelodeon?**

**R&R**


	16. Not a chapter, unfortunately

**I know, this isn't exactly a chapter. It's more of an author's note, but with some story to it. First and foremost, I'd like to put this story on an official hiatus. I'm losing my inspiration, and getting writer's block at the moment. I can't focus on the story. Secondly, I've been more interested in the Hunger Games Fandom. I'm going to start a SYOT for it, so if you're interested, please check it out! I'm going to write a preview for it in this chapter. Third, I also want to preview for you guys a new MR story. More on that later. So I guess this is a two-unrelated-chapters-plus-an-author's-note-chapt er. So, without further ado, the preview/prologue of my new Hunger Games fic!**

**This is the stuff of nightmares SYOT**

_Sinking. Drowning. Her head thrashed up, breaking the waves, and then was slammed back under by the wave. Her vision blurred, then became fuzzy, then faded to black. She was going to-_

Wake up. Head Gamemaker Sylica Xavier shot up in her bed, restless from the nightmare. She rubbed her sleepy head and peered at the digital wall interface.

"Time, please," she spoke clearly. The wall lit up, numbers glowing red (her personal preference). 4:23 AM. She sighed. It was too early to wake up, but too late to fall back asleep. She rolled out of bed and went to her closet.

_That was a terrible nightmare, _she thought. Only in her dreams could her fears be harnessed in such a way. As she was getting dressed in her blood red dress shirt and grey slacks, she realized the true meaning of her dream. It was a sign. She grinned, flashing her pearly whites in the darkness.

She took an energy shot in the kitchen, and was immediately awoken from any sleep that was left in her system. She grabbed herself a quick breakfast, and pulled out her palm computer.

She opened up the e-mail interface and messaged President Snow.

_ President Snow-_

_ It would be at my greatest convenience to have an urgent meeting with you regarding this year's Hunger Games. I have an idea that will make this year positively unforgettable. Would you be able to meet with me today? I can clear my schedule at any time, for this is of the utmost importance. I would like to begin creating the arena and muttations as soon as possible. Thank you very much,_

_Head Gamemaker Sylica Xavier._

Sylica smiled and pressed 'SEND' on the computer. Soon after, she left for work, stepping out of her penthouse suite and going down the clear glass tube elevator. She smiled at the nighttime view of The Capitol. Soon, the only thought crossing the city's mind would be how spectacular the 66th Hunger Games would be.

After working a few hours on getting a list of potential businesses and individuals that might sponsor a tribute (they had to sign up first, then choose their tribute), she received a reply from the president himself. She would meet with him for lunch at the most expensive café within a mile of the President's mansion. _Only the best for the President_, she thought wryly. She got back to work compiling the list, feeling a bit unfocused on it, however. Her mind was only on the Games.

"Hello, Ms. Xavier. Please, sit," said the President, motioning to the empty chair in the private room. She sat down in the deep red velvet chair. A waitress brought her a glass of water and then hurried out nervously, like a shy puppy.

"Hello, President Snow. Let me just say, it is quite the pleasure to be meeting with you. Thank you for the honor. I have come up with the perfect theme for this year's games," she explained.

The President nodded. "Tell me."

Sylica grinned. "The theme of this year will be Nightmares."

Snow smiled evilly in a way that only he could pull off. "Yes," he said. "This is perfect. I like it already. Go ahead and work with it, Ms. Xavier. But please, make it terrifying. Make it the worst thing that the tributes have ever even dreamed of."

**So yeah, that's that. Please submit a tribute! It would be awesome if you do! The full form will be in the actual story. Now, I have something else, a little treat for you. Presenting:**

***drumroll please*******

**The extended summary of my next Maximum Ride story!**

**Decode**

In kindergarten, they were inseparable. But when Nick moved away for his dad's job, everything changed. Max broke away from the Flock of friends, instead choosing the popular life. Now, she's got it all- great clothes, popular friends, good looks and pretty much every boy in school at her bidding. Could things get any better?

Then, a new boy moves to town. It's Nick- but with a new name, Fang, and a new life and personality. This Fang is dark and mysterious. Max is determined to find out why he's changed. He acts strange, always disappearing and going into the dark woods at night. Max decides to make it her mission to find out what's hiding in the woods, why he is so closed off from everyone else. But can she decode the biggest secret of all? As she struggles to find these answers, she is dragged into a dangerous world of mystery, and her life begins to fall apart. Will she finally figure out the new Fang, and can she change herself, too?

**Cheesy, I know. Don't hate it! It sounds worse than it will be (I hope). It's based off of the song Decode by Paramore (epic song. Go listen to it right now). Anyways, I hope that I can figure out this story. I'll probably delete this chapter once I can get a new one written, although I don't know how long it will be.**

** So yeah! A part story, part A/N chapter. I wanted to give you guys something to read (and keep it within the rules. Don't wanna have Critics United all pissed at me!)**

** To recap:**

**1) Flight to Haven is on an official hiatus. I don't know when the next chapter will get written.**

**2) I have a Hunger Games SYOT! Please go check it out and submit your tribute!**

**3) Tell me what you think of the story idea! I might write it in the future. I'm also thinking about writing one of those cliché summer camp fics…**

**Angel: Noooo! The cliché! How terribly horrible!**

**Max: Jeez, if you hated it that much, you could have just said so- normally, that is.**

**Angel: Kidding!**

**Peace out, Avian-Americans!**

**MaximumAngel1**


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